You Can Be
by Tsumika Shiga
Summary: There was nothing else to keep her there. So when the opportunity came, she left everything she had worked so hard for. But was it really the right decision? Through her encounter with these young men, she will unravel her past. And their encounter with her will spark something new within them equaling their passion for volleyball. OC; Reverse Harem; Multiple Ending.
1. Run Baby Run

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue. © Furudate Haruichi & Shueisha Publishing Co., Ltd.

Note: In Japan, the school year starts in April, and ends in March of the following year. It runs under a trimestral education system, separated by short vacations during spring and winter, as well as a month-long summer break. Students attend elementary school for six years, junior high or middle school for three years, and senior or high school for another three years.

* * *

Chapter One: Run Baby Run

 _"Too late for solutions to solve in the setting sun_

 _So run, my baby, run, my baby, run"_

#

Sitting on her bedroom floor, a sigh escaped her lips as she placed her folded uniform inside the box. She grew rather fond of the Catholic style uniform for the past two terms of her first year in high school. To represent her school was a huge honour but for what she was able to achieve under its name gave her a sense of pride in which she considered to be the highest point—so far—in her student life; and as a person who knew where her passion was. But the longer she stared, she was slowly reminded of the things she wish not to look back at—things she desperately wanted to forget.

The knock on the door caused her to retract her gaze from her uniform. "Yes?"

"Are you ready to go?" her father asked, pushing the door open and giving her a tentative smile.

"Almost," she answered, sliding the lid of the box in place.

"You know," he began, taking a step inside her room. "If you're uncertain about this move, I could try and explain the situation. It's not too late to back out from this."

She shook her head then gave him a comforting smile. "It's okay, otosan. Besides, it would be too troublesome for both schools if I back out now. The papers have been submitted and approved. The next step is for me to show up on Monday."

"You're right . . ." he agreed nonetheless. Seeing that there was no more need for words regarding the matter, he turned to leave her room but stopped. He appeared to be staring towards her study table.

"Otosan?" she called, curious at first until she traced her father's line of vision to see what he was looking at.

"I suppose you won't be taking that with you?" he inquired, nodding at what caught his attention.

"No," her reply came quickly. "There's no reason for me to."

Even without looking at him, she could tell that with her decision and explanation he was giving her that sympathetic look—how she hated the way people looked at her that way ever since that day.

"Kanon," he whispered her name in a sad tone.

"Please," Kanon said firmly, standing up and grabbing her weekender bag from the bed. "We should go. You still have to drive for four and a half hours."

Her voice was steady and strong enough to convey that she wanted to end the topic. He walked towards her to take her bag. "Okay. I'll put this in the car. Will you check if everything's been unplugged before we leave?"

She obediently nodded and waited for him to leave her room. Kanon approached her study table to grab a pair of earrings: a daisy themed beaded pair with fish hooks. Simple and small they appeared but they were the only things that she felt mattered to her now. She hooked them through her earlobes all the while avoiding the very thing her father was looking at minutes ago.

Turning around, Kanon took her phone out. There was one more issue she needed to address. Hours previously, she felt her phone buzzed for a notification. It was a voicemail message. Taking a deep breath—hoping that courage lingered in the air—she tapped her thumb against the message then pressed her phone against her ear. His voice soon greeted her:

 _Hi. It's me. . . . I know we're not in talking terms right now . . . and I understand you need some time alone but . . . I want to see you. I miss you . . . I want to be there for you._

An exhale—he paused. Kanon knew it was not easy for him to say such things but she was sure of one thing: he meant every word of it. She liked that about him but it also made it hard for her. Upon hearing his endearments, the guilt she was trying to put aside resurfaced. An inhale—he continued:

 _By the way . . . we got through to the quarterfinals today. I don't know if you were watching the live matches on the television . . . but I'd like to think we got through because you were rooting for us . . . for me. . . ._

This time, an abrupt pause. Someone in his end crooned the words 'lights out'. Kanon was not at all surprised to hear him continue in hurried whispers.

 _Looks like I gotta go. I'll see you soon, okay? Goodnight, Kanon. . . ._

She closed her eyes at his goodnight and thought to herself, _'I'm so sorry . . . but I have to go as well.'_

Pocketing her phone, she grabbed her messenger bag and slung the strap across her body. She stopped by the door to give her room a fleeting look before flicking the lights off and closing the door behind her to proceed with the checking.

"Is that the last?" asked her father as she unplugged the electric heater.

"Yup," she said, standing up and looking around in case she missed one, eyebrows furrowing slightly from scanning.

"There's no need to look glum," he pointed out.

"I wasn't looking glum," she countered, making her way for the door. "I was just checking if I missed anything."

"Ah, sorry about that," he said, embarrassed. "But I did tell you that you can return here during your seasonal vacations, right?"

"Yup. You told me that over dinner," she said, pulling on her boots. "You've decided to keep the apartment for a year or two depending on whether or not I adapt to city life."

"And once you graduated from high school, I'll ask you what you want to do with this place."

"Oh," Kanon uttered. "You didn't tell me that part."

He adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose. "I guess that's your old man for you."

"Otosan, you're not that old," she said simply, extracting her gloves from her bag as she studied him for a bit. If he chose to dye his hair black to get rid of the whites, he could get away looking five to ten years younger than his actual age. "But are you sure you're okay with it?"

"About keeping the apartment?"

Kanon nodded, putting on her gloves. "You just left your company."

"We'll be fine," he assured her, standing next to her. "I still earn from my previous projects so don't worry about it.

"Are you _really_ sure?" she insisted, looking him in the eye. "'Cause if not, I can take a part-time job to help out."

He shook his head, hands on her shoulders. "I won't let you as long as I can still provide."

Stunned for a moment, Kanon gaped at him before letting out a giggle. His response was a slight tilt of his head to the right.

"I think someone needs to lay off on those drama series," she suggested.

"I think you're right," he agreed. "Just promise me that when you drop by here, tidy up a bit and make sure to visit your grandparents in Iwate."

"Understood." She smiled, placing her hands on her father's forearms. "Let's get going, otosan. I still have questions about Tokyo and this old school of yours."

He nodded, taking his hands off her shoulders to pull on his own pair of boots. With their apartment checked and locked, they made their way down the building and towards the car. Snow crunching from their footsteps, Kanon looked above for the moon. Tonight it was a waning gibbous. A bitter smile tugged on her lips; even the Heavens were aware of what she was about to do.

"Kanon?" her father called.

"Yes?" she answered, snapping from her concentration. She became rooted to the spot at the sight of the moon. "Sorry, I hadn't noticed. . . ."

"I know you like looking at the moon but you better get it. It's freezing out here," he urged, opening the driver's side of the car.

Both father and daughter got in quickly then buckled up for the long drive ahead. Kanon took out her phone, again, to check for any other messages and for the temperature of where they were heading. Her father, on the other hand, looked for something to be popped into the player every time the car stopped for a red light.

"It doesn't snow there, does it?" she asked, pulling out her earphones—a precaution if he decided to play something she was not a fan of.

"I think it does," he speculated, car cruising through the streets of Sendai. "But it's a rare occurrence. If it ever did, it melts away quickly."

"That's too bad," her comment was accompanied with a frown. She placed her left elbow on the window beside her, cupping her chin with her hand. "This school of yours . . . Nekoma, right?"

"Yes."

"Nekoma. . . ." she repeated, nodding. "The girls' uniform is the sailor outfit, right?"

"Yup," he answered rather happily. "Navy blue with a red bow."

"But the guys have the Catholic style?"

"Uh huh."

"I find that a bit odd," Kanon confided. "It reminds me of that school on the hill where the guys wear gakuran but the girls wear the Catholic style."

"You mean Karasuno?"

"Yeah!" she exclaimed, taking her elbow off the window. "Shouldn't sailor outfit and gakuran go together like in middle school?"

"You do have a point there but to each his own even in schools." He smiled at her musings. "Funny you mentioned Karasuno though."

"Why is that?"

"Did you know the coaches for both schools' boys' volleyball teams have a longstanding rivalry," he explained, giving her a quick glance. "But that was years ago. . . . Last I heard, they have both retired from coaching."

"Rivals, huh?"

"Destined rivals," he said, a wide smile spreading across his face. "They even got a name for whenever they meet on the court."

Kanon raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Oh yes," he answered with enthusiasm. "A very fitting one, too!"

"What's it called then?"

"Would you like to hazard a guess?"

"Let's see . . ." she mused, scrunching her face. "Cats . . . crows . . . what do they share? Where can I find these two?"

There was a chuckle from the driver's seat. "C'mon, Kanon. It isn't so hard."

"Cats are pets and crows aren't . . . unless you want them to be," she said, crossing her arms. "I give up!"

A red light, the car stopped, and he looked at her. "Battle at the Garbage Dump!"

"Oh . . . Ohh!" it took her a few seconds to realise why but she concurred that it was a rather fitting title.

Her father smiled at her before driving on. Kanon returned her attention at her phone. She plugged in the earphones and browsed for an album she wanted to listen to. She then stuck the left side and kept her right ear free for her father.

"Are you getting the hang of that phone by now?" he asked, their car just entered the Tohoku Expressway.

She nodded. "Smartphones aren't so bad after all. A lot more convenient but distracts you more than the flip type."

"Well, that's technology for you," he replied. "Onto another topic . . . have you told those two we were moving today?"

"Yup," she said, her voice losing a bit of cheerfulness at the thought of her friends. "I told them yesterday when I met up with them."

"Hmm," her father mumbled. She could tell he was hesitating whether or not to carry on with the conversation. But he opened his mouth to continue with a question, "how about that boy? The one you were dating?"

There it was. Kanon was aware that her father would eventually ask about him. Unfortunately for her, it came sooner than she expected.

"We just started dating, otosan," she corrected him. "He . . . doesn't know. . . ."

"But, Kanon, he was there for you."

"I know," Kanon said, biting her lip. They only met once at a solemn event. It was not the way she pictured for them to meet but they did. Perhaps that meeting alone was enough to leave a huge impression on her father. "He's in Tokyo right now."

"Oh," he said, it was his turn to comprehend what she was trying to get across. "For the Spring High National Tournament?"

She nodded.

"You'll be telling him there then?"

"Uh, yeah . . ." the guilt she carried felt suddenly heavier.

"Good then!" he sounded pleased.

Kanon stole a glance at her father's profile. _'I'm sorry, otosan. But I cannot . . . I don't want to because it's better for him not to know.'_

Minutes ticked away as she remained quiet. Sensing her discomfort from their previous topic, her father resumed their conversation with yet another question, "have you finished that game I bought for you for Christmas?"

Glad of the shift, Kanon shook her head. "Not yet but I probably would be by this week or next."

"What do you think of it?"

"You were right about it being challenging."

"Good points and bad points?"

"Easy to understand combat mechanics," she noted. "Has a somewhat predictable plot."

He was nodding at her explanation. "And how would you honestly rate it?"

"A solid four out of five."

Kanon saw how her father was still nodding—taking in every word she said. She knew that his mind would switch into work mode whenever an idea struck him. And it was something she cannot help and admire about him. He was always passionate about the things he loved—a feeling she knew all too well.

Sighing, she leaned against the window. As she gazed at the light posts along the way her thoughts wondered if she will ever feel the same way ever again. Will there be a chance for her to let the passion course through her like it used to? Or should she just give up and never look back since it will only remind her of what she was still coping with.

"Go ahead and get some sleep," her father told her gently.

With her clouded mind and eyelids being coaxed to sleep by the guiding lights, she relented. "Okay . . . but wake me up when we pass Kuro River."

"But you can sleep until we get to our new apartment."

"No," Kanon added, trying to fight off the drowsy spell long enough to continue. "Because after Kuro River is Tochigi . . . and that is no longer a part of Tohoku . . . but . . . Kanto . . . and Tokyo is in Kanto . . . where we live now. . . ."

She saw her father smiling warmly at her words. Perhaps he was right. They will be fine. A new school to study at and a new prefecture to live in. Kanon felt herself smiling back before closing her eyes.

* * *

Note: First fic for this fandom. Thank you very much for reading!


	2. Sparta

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue. © Furudate Haruichi & Shueisha Publishing Co., Ltd.

* * *

Chapter Two: Sparta

 _"I will break these diamonds, swallow your words, and fight them all_

 _I will prove them wrong and make it disappear"_

#

"I never thought you'd take Yamamoto's words to heart," Kuroo said, depositing his penny loafers in the shoe locker and slipping on his pair of indoor shoes.

"Will you stop already?" Kenma replied, eyes and hands on his handheld device. "I've lost count on how many times you've commented about my hair this morning."

"Can't help it." Kuroo stood up and continued on as they headed for the hallway. "Rather shocking transition from black to blond."

Kenma shrugged. "It's a relatively common colour nowadays."

"Well, you do have a point there," he said as they ascended the stairs. "Do you think Fukurodani will get through today as well?"

"Only if Bokuto's in top form," said Kenma.

When they got to the second floor, Kuroo gave him a single wave as he took on another set of stairs for his classroom above. "Later then."

Kenma headed for his classroom. However, before he could enter the room, a few of his female classmates pushed pass him. Their voices were loud and excited.

"Guess what I heard from the faculty room."

"What?"

"We're gaining a new classmate today!"

"No way?"

"Yeah! And I heard she's from Miyagi."

"A country chick?"

Giggles erupted among them, causing Kenma to furrow in annoyance. It was too early for him to hear pointless gossip. He filed after them and took his seat by the window only to notice that the seat next to him was vacated. He was not surprised at the move and could not care less if they wanted the new student to sit next to him.

The rest of the class took their seats waiting for their homeroom teacher to arrive. The door slide open, the homeroom teacher walked in, and they stood up once to greet her.

"New year, new term," she started, grabbing a piece of chalk. "We also have a new student joining us starting today."

She turned around and wrote four kanji characters on the blackboard. Kenma's eyes idly read the first two: the characters for stone and god.

 _'Ishigami,'_ he read to himself. It was an ordinary last name. Moving onto the other two characters: flower and sound. Kenma frowned—if read the same way with her last name, it sounded not like a given name. _'Must be . . .'_

"Come in," the teacher called, directing her voice at the door.

The door slid open once again and came in a female student. She stopped in front of the teacher's table, both hands holding her bag in front. She kept her shoulders back. There was no air of meekness from the way she carried herself nor was she shy in looking at them all.

"Do introduce yourself," instructed their teacher.

"Hello," she said crisply. "My name is Ishigami Kanon. Pleased to meet you." She ended her greeting with a polite bow.

 _'Thought so,'_ Kenma told himself at the mention of her given name.

Her light brown hair fell by her shoulders. With no bangs, she parted it from the left side. Kanon smiled nonchalantly as she looked from student to student, awaiting their teacher's next instruction.

"Let's see . . ." their teacher started, scanning the room for the only vacant seat. "You can take that seat next to Kozume near the window."

Kanon nodded and went to her seat as she was told, stopping briefly in front of him. Kenma—feeling that she was waiting for him to acknowledge her—lifted his eyes to meet hers: green. Her eyes were a deep shade of green and were somewhat rounded. It was like looking at a pair of emeralds but he noticed something else. Whether it was the trick of the morning light, her right eye shone more than her left. Satisfied with the seconds, she smiled at him—a warmer one than she gave in front of the class. She followed it with a nod before taking her seat.

The homeroom teacher resumed with the checking of attendance, shared information about previous events, and upcoming school activities.

"That's the end of this morning's homeroom meeting," announced their teacher, erasing the name on the board. "I'll see you again after classes."

She left as the class waited for their next teacher to arrive. Uninterested in the breakout of small chats regarding what his classmates did during their winter vacation around him, Kenma placed his right arm on his desk, his left elbow propped up, his knuckles under his chin as he stared out the window. The view of the Tama River next to their school always made him feel at ease both during classes or during after school activities.

The arrival of their teacher for their Japanese Literature period made it official that student life was back on track for them. Four periods for four hours before break but as third period came, Kenma heard some of his female classmates from behind him started whispering. Their voices a tad bit louder as if they intentionally wanted to be heard by those nearest to them.

"They're beaded, I swear!"

"Seriously?"

"Yeah!"

"Can't she at least afford cheap fancy ones?"

Out of the corner of his eyes, Kenma saw Kanon gathering her hair and placing them over her right shoulder. A hint of white dangled from her left earlobe. Squinting, he realised it was made of beads. Instead of hiding it and folding under their comments, she flaunted the very thing they were criticising. A smirk appeared on her lips which silenced their classmates from behind.

"Ishigami," their English teacher called. "Would you be so kind enough to translate example number three?"

Kanon stood and sauntered over to the blackboard. As she stared at the sentence for a bit, Kenma heard his classmates continue their disparaging talk about the new student.

"Let's see how well you deal with that."

"I bet she's going to get the verb wrong."

"I bet she can't understand half of it."

They were giggling but it soon ended when Kanon got back in her seat, their teacher praising her translation from the front of the class. "Excellent, Ishigami! Now, for number four. . . ."

There was another period after English then, finally, lunch break. Kenma took out both his sandwich and handheld device. Kanon stood up and left the room.

He gave his sandwich a bite, turned on the device, and continued where he left off this morning. There was a certain quest he was eager to finish in order to face the final boss.

"Hey, what do you think of the new girl?"

This time, a bunch of his male classmates gathered by the table in front of Kanon's. There was no doubt that they were waiting for her to return.

"She's not bad . . . kinda cute."

"Isn't she? Innocent looking to be exact."

"Hey, how about a bet?"

"What do you have in mind?"

"Treat me to something good if I managed to get her number."

"I'll treat you for a week if you could get her to fall for you within a month."

"You're on!"

There was the unmistakable clap from a high five—sealing their agreement—followed by a couple of sniggers.

"How hard can it be? I mean, she's a country girl. I bet she still uses a flip type phone."

"Ah . . . but that's the beauty to them. She's simple-minded. She wouldn't ask for much."

"Making it easier for her to fall."

"Who's going to fall easily?" came Kanon's voice from behind them. She was smiling as she returned to her seat.

"A-ah, n-nothing . . . don't mind that . . ." one of them started, pushing the other in front. "This dude has something to say to you though."

"Y-yeah," said the bet instigator. "I was wondering if I could get you number?"

She hummed at his words, her fingers drumming on her desk. "I think it's best if we get to know each other first."

"Sure, that sounds great!" he said, sounding hopeful. "So, tell me something about—"

"But for now," she cut him off, grabbing her bag and pulling out her phone with her earphones wrapped around it. "If you don't mind, I'd like to take a nap before Social Studies."

There was nothing his classmates could do but stare at her as she fixed her earphones in her ears, crossed her arms on the desk, and laid her head on top. Denied from acquiring her phone number, Kenma saw them turn away, one of them said, "Tch . . . I was so sure she was going to pull out a flip type phone."

Kenma was almost done with his sandwich when he paused his game only to turn up the volume. This part of the game played a rather good background music and since Kanon was sleeping with earphones on, he was certain she was not going to hear any of it. As the cut-scene came on and the characters were shouting their lines at each other, he noticed Kanon stirred a bit in her sleep. She was now facing him. Kenma paused once more, eyeing her to check if she woke up from the sound. Eyes still closed, earphones still on, he continued.

Kanon woke up ten minutes before their next period started. Kenma was able to defeat the boss by that time and was rather pleased that he could start on the new game he bought last weekend.

The remaining two hours went faster than he thought. Their homeroom teacher was back for their after school homeroom meeting. Finally dismissed for the day, his classmates took off in groups. He remained to re-arrange the contents of his bag when Kanon caught his attention.

"It's Kozume-kun, right?" she uttered.

Kenma nodded.

"Would you like to add a comment or two?" Kanon asked, wrapping a scarf around her neck.

"About what?" he said, idly looking back at her.

"Like . . . I'm a country chick or say something about my preferred accessory," she supplied, her eyes staring back at his. "Everybody else seems so vocal about what they see in me or what they think about me and you . . . you've been rather quiet."

He could not tell what she was getting at. "I'd rather observe before passing judgement."

"I thought so," she said. "That's why I know you might have a better way of describing me than the rest."

"It doesn't matter to me where you're from," he answered, zipping his bag shut. "You're a student here now. You're a part of Nekoma now."

There was no other way he would like to put it. He was not being mean either. To Kenma, it was simple as that. Should he complicate things and create a division just because she was a transfer student from Miyagi? No. There was no need.

He took his eyes off of her and heaved his bag over his shoulder. An unexpected laughter stopped him from leaving his seat. He brought his attention back at her.

"Would you believe me if I told you that that possibly is the best comment about me I've heard today?" Kanon told him, a smile settling on her lips.

"I . . . guess . . ." he was not sure how to react to that but it was nice to know that what he said was not at all bad.

"I just don't like sticking out like a sore thumb, you know?" she confessed. "But there's no helping it 'cause I'm new here."

"Give it time," he said, knowing all too well the anxiety she was going through. "Soon you'll blend in with the rest."

"Yeah . . . guess you're right . . ." she sighed. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she looked at him, eyes widerning. "That game you were playing during lunch, did you manage to beat the final boss?"

Taken aback by her inquiry, Kenma was not sure which was more shocking: the fact that she knew the game or that she was not entirely asleep.

"Yes . . . I did," he answered. "I thought you were sleeping?"

"More like resting my eyes?" She grinned. "I'm frustrated with the quest. I wanna finish it so bad so I could move on the new one my dad recommended for me to play next."

"Your dad?"

"Uh huh." Kanon nodded. "I help him out with work whenever I can."

"What does—"

"Kenma!" Kuroo's voice came from the door.

Kenma turned to see Kuroo standing at the doorway looking surprised. His appearance ended their conversation as Kanon hoisted her bag over her shoulder. "Well, I better get going. I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Ah," he said back, watching her go.

"Kozume-kun!" she called, stopping and turning halfway before reaching Kuroo. She smiled—it was, perhaps, the warmest smile from her today. "Thanks . . . for making me feel welcomed here."

He watched as she bowed and excused herself to get pass Kuroo who was still rather frozen at the sight of her but was able to let her through. He made his way towards the doorway to join his friend.

"Let's go," Kenma said, leaving the room.

"I'm quite familiar with your classmates," Kuroo started, walking beside him. "But I'm certain her face is new."

"She's a transfer," he replied.

"Oh?" Kuroo said, raising an eyebrow. "This late in the school year?"

"Uhn." He nodded as they descended the stairs.

"That's rather odd," added Kuroo. "Why transfer when she could have waited three more months and then transfer to Nekoma as a second year student instead."

Kenma simply shrugged back. Shoes changed back to penny loafers, they headed for the club changing rooms.

"But you seem to get along well with her," the older of the two noted. "And it's only her first day here, right?"

"She talked to me first," Kenma muttered. "I was only answering back."

"Oya, oya," Kuroo said, a grin on his face. "Better tell the guys you're about to get a girlfriend soon."

"Who's about to get a girlfriend?" Yaku's voice asked as the door of the changing room slid open. "Eh? What happened to your hair, Kenma?"

"He dyed it," Kuroo answered, his eyes looking at another teammate inside the room. "All thanks to you, Yamamoto."

"What did I do?" Yamamoto asked back. "And who's gonna get a girlfriend?"

"Kenma is," said Kuroo.

"Kenma's g-getting a g-girlfriend?!" Yamamoto stuttered.

"I'm not," Kenma said, annoyed.

"Yes, you are," Kuroo persisted, ushering him inside to get changed.

"No, I'm not."

* * *

Note: Thank you again for reading!


	3. Lazy Daisy

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue. © Furudate Haruichi & Shueisha Publishing Co., Ltd.

* * *

Chapter Three: Lazy Daisy

 _"She's a lazy daisy watching the sun turn into rain_

 _And maybe waiting for something to take the pain"_

#

With classes over, Kuroo stood up to meet up with the rest of the volleyball team. He heard some of his female classmates bid him goodbye which he responded with a quick glance and polite nod. Hands in his pocket, he headed for the stairs. Before he could descend, a voice from above mentioned his name.

"Kuroo!"

He looked up to see one of his senpai—the previous volleyball captain. "Yes?"

"Heading for practice?" he asked.

"Yup," Kuroo answered.

"How are you finding your new position?"

"Manageable," he said. "Everyone's getting along just fine."

"That's good to know," his senpai commented, nodding in approval. "Then again, I was expecting you to say that. No wonder the remaining members chose you to be the next captain."

Kuroo raised an eyebrow. Why would he suddenly care about the team? Under his captaincy, they suffered from poor communication. The third years were relentless in the way they ordered the second and first years around. Could it be that leaving the team and having the proper time to think over what happened for over a year urged him to reflect on the way he handled the team?

There was a frown on his senpai's face as he aimed his sight somewhere else. Kuroo could tell that he was in a state of discomfort. As much as he was glad his predecessor felt somewhat at fault for how things were before, he knew he needed to do the right thing and change the subject to ease the burden.

"Will you be taking the test this weekend?" Kuroo asked.

His senpai looked at him, relieved. "That National Centre Test for University Admissions?

Kuroo nodded.

"Yes."

"I wish you goodluck then," he sincerely said.

"Ah, thanks." His senpai nodded. "Aren't you enrolled in an advanced class right now?"

"Yes."

"Then that means you'll be enrolled in a college preparatory class come April?"

"That is what follows," Kuroo confirmed.

His senpai gave him a searching look. "Guess that means you'll have to quit this year. After Nationals . . . that is if the team can make it this time."

"I don't mean to be rude, senpai," started Kuroo, "but I have no plans on quitting just like that. If we don't make it to the Nationals, we'll stay for the Spring High. But if we could do both, why not?"

Kuroo saw how his senpai's face was in disbelief at first, then, slowly, a knowing lopsided smile came about with a slight shake of his head.

"Right," he said, closing his eyes to reminisce. "'To dominate the Nationals' was what you and Yaku told us the first time you showed up for recruitment."

Kuroo grinned. It was his plan from the beginning ever since entering Nekoma. It was most certainly still his plan until he graduated.

"Well, I guess all I could say back at you is goodluck, too," said his senpai, turning on his heel. "Captain."

"Ah," Kuroo replied, taking a step forward.

"Oh!"Almost forgot," the shout stopped him in his tracks, again. "But I'm quite sure you've heard of the rumour."

"I have," even without his senpai telling him, Kuroo knew what he was getting at.

"Well, it was rather expected . . . to be honest," his senpai added. "With how Nekoma performed of late, no wonder coach Nekomata decided to come out of retirement."

"Is that confirmed?" Kuroo said, hiding his excitement.

"Yeah," told his senpai. "So . . . if you ever made it to the Nationals or Spring High, we'll be watching!"

And with that, Kuroo heard his senpai retreat to his classroom. As he walked along the hallway leading to Kenma's classroom, he could not help and feel hopeful. The last words his senpai told him kept the grin on his face. Soon the team will acquire appropriate guidance over their practice sessions and matches that, if lucky enough, will lead them to competing with the best and to attain what he longed for.

When he saw Kenma's classroom door ahead, he felt like running towards it but it suddenly slid open. Kuroo saw the same girl Kenma was talking to last Monday. She stepped out, turned around, and waved—possibly bidding his friend goodbye.

Kuroo felt his pace slowing down. The positivity from his previous conversation made him unexpectedly curious about Kenma's new classmate. He wanted to get some kind of reaction from her somehow.

She was wearing her scarf, again, today. As she turned to head for the stairs, Kuroo saw how her eyes landed on him. He, on the other hand, directed his eyes back at the door. With the gap between them diminishing with every step, he contemplated in greeting her with a glance. Just as their shoulders were to align with one another, her eyes sought for his. She smiled when he chose to look back at her. A curt nod followed before she placed her vision in front of her, walking away from him.

Kuroo stood in place for a moment, watching her disappear by the stairs. "Well . . . that was interesting. . . ."

"What was?" Kenma said behind him.

"Your girlfriend just acknowledged me," he answered.

"She's not my girlfriend," retorted Kenma, walking away from him.

Smirking at how his friend was always quick to deny it, Kuroo followed him out of the building. "So . . . you two seem close by now. What sort of things do you talk about?"

"Games."

"Games?" Kuroo's eyebrows furrowed at his answer. "That's not at all romantic."

Kenma threw him a spiteful look before choosing not to comment any further. They made their way towards the club changing room where the rest of the team were waiting for them. Changed and ready to start with their practice, the entire team headed for the gymnasium to commence with their stretching.

Kuroo commanded the team through their stretches, his voice loud and clear as he counted while they held every position for a few good seconds. Standing up from their final stretching position, he spoke, "A quick jog around the block starting by the river then we'll proceed with the pepper drills before our three-on-three."

The volleyball team filed out of the gymnasium and through the gates of the school itself. With the river to their left and trees lined their right, Kuroo jogged at the back of the group alongside Kenma. It wasn't long when he noticed that the rest of the team ahead were turning their necks to their left as they passed a certain spot. He traced the said area and saw that by the riverbank lay a student. Narrowing his eyes, Kuroo spotted the scarf he saw earlier on Kenma's classmate.

"Isn't that your girlfriend?" he asked Kenma.

"Not my girlfriend."

"What is she doing there?" his curiosity renewed at the sight of her.

"No idea," said Kenma.

"You guys go on ahead," Kuroo told in a loud enough voice to the rest of the team in front. "And prepare yourselves for something I'm about to share when we get there."

"What are you—" Kenma turned to look at him but he was already jogging away from the road and slowly making his way towards the river.

When Kuroo got close, he saw that her eyes were closed, an earphone in one of her ears. Sprawled-eagle against the grass, she appeared to be sleeping peacefully despite the cold weather. It was not in his business to tell her off but it was not advisable, especially for a girl of her age, to just spread out and sleep so carelessly out in the open like that.

"So sorry to disturb you," he said, getting even closer. "But I don't think you should be sleeping around like that out here with this temperature."

No reply came nor a single movement from her. Thinking that his voice failed to reach her, he bent down a bit, and was about to repeat his words of caution if not momentarily distracted by her lips: they were small yet plump with a prominent cupid's bow. He was wondering whether it was the cold weather that made her lips pink in hue just like her cheeks when they parted and her voice spoke to him.

"It's actually warmer here in the city," she said, slowly opening her eyes to meet his. "Oh . . . it's you."

 _'It's you?'_ he told himself, straightening up. _'Already that familiar with me, huh?'_

"But you're right," she added. "It's not sensible for me to be sleeping out here but being near bodies of water soothes me."

She propped herself to a sitting position, running a hand through her hair to remove bits of grass.

"Kuro, why did you disturb her?" Kenma's voice inquired from behind him.

At his friends question, Kuroo saw the girl turned on her spot to face them both. Her eyes were quickly on Kenma, a smile spreading on her lips.

"Kozume-kun!" she exclaimed. "I thought you went home already?"

"No," he replied. "I have practice."

"Practice?" she repeated, looking at their matching black t-shirts and red shorts. "Which sport are you in?"

"Volleyball," Kenma answered.

"Eh?" It was understandable for her to react that way but she continued on, "I was trying to figure out which sport you belonged to judging solely by the bag you carried almost every day but I would have never thought of volleyball."

"Why do you think so?" Kuroo queried.

"Well," she started, looking back at him. "I just thought that he's the type to be in individual sports rather than team sports."

"Because of his reserved nature?"

"Yeah, pretty much," she agreed. Turning to Kenma once again and placing the strap of her bag over her shoulder, she asked, "what's your position?"

"Setter," said Kenma.

"Setter, huh . . ." she echoed, getting ready to stand up. "I bet your opponents have a hard time reading where you'll be sending your tosses."

Kuroo's eyebrow rose. Not only does she get along with his friend but she seemed to be knowledgeable about the sport. She can even tell how efficient Kenma was without seeing him in actual matches.

"And you?" she addressed him.

Grin cracking on the surface of his face, he extended a hand for her to take. "Third year, class five, middle blocker, and team captain: Kuroo Tetsurou."

Without any hesitation, she took his hand and he pulled her up. She was light as a feather from how fast and easy he was able to get her in a standing position in front of him. Just like before, her eyes sought for his, their gaze steadier than before.

"Ishigami Kanon," she said, giving his hand a firm shake. "I was wondering when was I going to be introduced to you."

"Really?"

"Yeah." She smiled. "It would be better to be able to greet each other properly than with just a glance and a nod along the hallway, right?"

"You could have made the first move," Kuroo stated, finding himself enjoying their chat.

"Ah, well, I could have," Kanon said. "But you're not like Kozume-kun, are you?"

"You can call him Kenma if you like," he suggested. "He doesn't mind so almost everybody does."

"Is that so?" she looked at Kenma who nodded in return. "But I'd like to get to know you better before I get comfortable with the thought of calling you by your given name. Anyway . . . it was nice meeting you, Kuroo-senpai."

"You can drop the senpai part," Kuroo corrected.

"Kuroo-kun, then," Kanon added. "You still have practice so I better get going."

"Right."

"Uhm . . . can I have my hand back, please?"

Kuroo looked down and realised he was still holding her hand firmly. He gently let go. "Sorry."

"No problem." She beamed. "Thanks for keeping it warm."

They watched as Kanon made her way onto the road. She spun around and waved back at them both. His hand went up for a modest wave while Kenma did a lower version. She continued to walk away beside the trees, her light brown hair swaying behind her.

"We should head back," said Kenma, resuming with his jog.

"So . . . that's your girlfriend," Kuroo teased, catching up to him. When his friend chose to ignore him, he continued with a question, "do you think she plays volleyball?"

"I don't know," Kenma responded.

"You never asked her?"

"Nope," he said. "She normally starts the conversation."

"Well, I guess there's something to look forward to when I get to talk to her, again."

"What were you going to tell us when we get back in the gym?" Kenma asked, perhaps to get him to talk of something else.

"Oh, that," suddenly remembering, Kuroo grinned at the thought of the best news he came across for the day. "It's no longer a rumour; Coach Nekomata is coming back."

* * *

Note: this chapter is dedicated to makarakarn, LilweenGalatrass, NamikazeMia, ayyyrahh, shiropaart, KisaragiMaru, bannamonkey, TheParadoxicalOxymoron, o0kupant0o, and 15ls. Thank you so much!

Rovigna, I'm glad you liked her.

Guest, I will try. No promises though.

And thank you all for reading!


	4. Run a Mile

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue. © Furudate Haruichi & Shueisha Publishing Co., Ltd.

* * *

Chapter Four: Run a Mile

 _"Thought I might still try to soften up the edges_

 _I backed up, stepped away, and you still seemed restless"_

#

"Where are you going, Kuroo?" Kai's voice asked as he left his classroom during lunch break.

"Going to see Kenma for a bit," Kurro answered, lifting a small plastic bag filled with snacks. Even after a proper meal, he felt there was still room for a bit more. He was a growing teenager after all. "Was gonna share some with him. Want some?"

Kai shook his head. "No, thanks."

When he got to the hallway that catered to Kenma's classroom, his eyes immediately spotted a lone figure by the window. Was he truly there just because of his friend or was he hoping for a chance to talk to her, again? Either way, he welcomed her solitary presence.

Quietly, he made his way towards her but the closer he got, he could tell she appeared to be somewhere else—at least her mind was. Kanon's arms were resting on the windowsill, her hands holding onto a phone. She was staring hard at the screen, a frown upon her face.

Too focused on her phone, she failed to sense Kuroo planting himself behind her a little on the left side. With his height, he was able to see that she was looking at the icon for a voicemail message. His eyes were about to read the name next to it when Kanon tapped on her phone and pressed it against her ear. The closeness between them enabled his ears to partially pick up what she was listening to.

The voice came loud that Kanon slightly distanced her phone from her ear. Whoever was on the other end, sounded angry. The tone was deep: definitely male. He was shouting, clearly metioning Kanon's given name a few times. Kuroo's eyes wandered to her profile and noticed her eyes closed, a grimace for every word she heard. When it ended she heaved a heavy sigh.

"Well . . ." Kuroo started, moving to her side. Seeing her troubled like that made him feel uncomfortable. Any girl would but knowing that she and Kenma were somehow getting close, she was on a different level compared to the rest. He wanted to say something to distract her at least, "that was rather intense."

Kanon turned to look at him, her eyes huge from shock. "Has anyone ever told you that eavesdropping on a conversation is rude?"

"That's where you're wrong," he commented, noting her green misty eyes. Was she about to cry from that phone call alone? "You see, that was not a conversation."

"How so?" she added, slipping her phone inside the pocket of her skirt.

"You were simply listening to a voicemail message," he explained. He pointed to himself then towards her, repeating the gesture between them. " _This_ is a conversation."

"All right," I get your point, Kuroo-kun," she said with another sigh.

He grinned at the way she mentioned his last name. "So . . . who was that?"

"Why do you wanna know?"

"Just curious," admitted Kuroo. "He sounded furious. Let me guess. . . . Must be your ex-boyfriend."

"You could say that," she answered, turning away from him and resting her arms on the windowsill once more. "Then again . . . even I don't honestly know what we were."

"You don't know?"

"I don't. . . . Or I choose not to know."

Brimming with curiosity, Kuroo went on and asked, "what did you do to receive something like that?"

"Trust me . . . you don't wanna know," Kanon threw her head back and titled it a bit to look at him. "But, I can assure you . . . I deserved that."

"Really?" Kuroo said, his mind theorising on possible reasons.

She nodded, removed her arms from the windowsill, and turned to face him fully. "Anyway, what are you doing on our floor?"

He was sure that Kanon felt that he was not ready to stop with the questions for her to change the subject. Thinking that it was wiser to let her slip for now, he lifted the plastic bag and gave it a slight shake. She looked at it, puzzled.

"Thought of sharing some to Kenma," he replied. "He doesn't eat much, you know."

"What are you, his mum?" Kanon smirked.

"Brother would be better," Kuroo suggested, smirking back. "He's an only child."

She hummed and nodded. "That figures."

"How about you?"

"An only child, too," she said, smiling.

"No wonder you two get along well," he concluded. "If you're out here, then you must be done with lunch."

She shook her head. "I've lost my appetite somehow."

Before he knew it, his hand was already rummaging inside the plastic bag for something to offer her. He pulled out a chocolate pudding and a plastic spoon. "Here."

"Hmm?" she eyed the treat. "You sure?"

"Yeah." Kuroo nodded. "I know girls like to maintain their figures but judging from what I'm seeing, a pudding won't hurt you."

She giggled as she plucked the pudding from his hand, another smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

 _'There you go,'_ he thought, looking at the change in her expression. _'Much better.'_

"I don't really care about maintaining a figure," she said, tearing the lid open. "But if it's free, might as well accept it! Thank you, Kuroo-kun."

"You're welcome," he said, watching her plunge the spoon into the dessert.

For a few seconds, he let her consume the sweet. Kuroo could hear her purr contentedly for every spoonful she took.

"How about you?" Kanon asked halfway into her snack. "Are you an only child, too?"

"Uh huh."

"Then we'll get along well, too." She grinned.

"We already are," Kuroo agreed.

"Kozume-kun!" she blurted out, her eyes on their classroom door. "Kuroo-kun's here to see you."

"He's just here to check if I've eaten properly," Kenma stated, shuffling over to where they stood.

"Would you like a pudding, too?" Kuroo asked, lifting the plastic bag.

Kenma shook his head in reply.

"Say, you two," Kanon began, finishing her pudding. "Do you know any place I could buy sturdy yet inexpensive kitchen utensils?"

"There's only one place I could think of," said Kuroo. "Right, Kenma?"

Kenma nodded and added, "Kappabashi."

"Kappabashi," she repeated, taking her phone out. "Let's see . . . how to get there."

"Didn't you bring any kitchen utensils with you when you moved here?" Kuroo inquired, looking at her in disbelief.

"We did but not everything," she replied, her thumb moving across the screen of her phone. "Most of the time we just eat stir fried meat and vegetables or eat out. I wanna make something for a change . . . something different . . . from scratch that requires utensils we forgot. I don't wanna ask dad to retrieve them because he's just too busy these days. . . . Ah! Found it!"

Kuroo glanced over her phone and saw her zooming at the station closest to Kappabashi.

"You wanna get on the Ginza Line," he suggested. "Then get off at Tawaramachi."

"Ginza Line, huh," Kanon echoed, thumb moving across her phone's screen once again. Her brows furrowed from concentration, a frown made another appearance. She mumbled, "where do I transfer?"

A smirk surfaced on Kuroo's lips as Kenma moved closer to her, assisting her as she planned her route to get there. As Kuroo watched how close the two were over her phone, an idea suddenly popped into his head, turning his smirk of amusement into one he wore when feeling a little devious.

"You know," Kuroo started, breaking their focus from the phone. "We could go there with you, if you like."

"We?" Kenma looked at him, not at all happy with the word he chose.

"Yeah, we," he confirmed.

"There's no need. I'll be fine on my own once I've planned my route precisely," Kanon reassured them. "I don't wanna trouble either of you. Besides, I'll go on a Sunday—I bet you guys will want nothing to do on that day but rest."

"This one here will just play all day long," Kuroo pointed at Kenma. "I gotta get him off of his games sometimes so Sunday sounds good."

Kenma narrowed his eyes at him as he smirked back. Kuroo knew that his friend finally figured out his ulterior motive for proposing to go with Kenma on a weekend.

"What do you think, Kozume-kun?" Kanon asked, looking at Kenma who turned to her at the mention of his name. "If you're okay with it then I'll appreciate it but _only_ if you're okay with it. Okay?"

"Uh . . ." Kuroo could tell his friend was contemplating hard on what to say to her. He could not blame him for taking his time. She was smiling at him as she waited for his answer. A sigh issued from Kenma as he slightly hung his head, shoulders dropping along with it. "It's okay. We'll go with you."

"Really?"

"Ah."

"Thank you!" Kanon trilled, handing Kenma her phone. "We should exchange numbers then."

"You haven't exchanged numbers yet since you transferred?" Kuroo questioned as Kenma pulled and handed his phone to her in return.

"There's no point since we see each other almost every day," she told him. "Until now, of course."

Kuroo listened to the soft clicks as they input their contact numbers. The moment the phones were back to their rightful owners, Kanon extended her arm towards him.

"Your turn," she happily said.

"I thought you only wanted to get each others' numbers?" he asked, pulling out his phone nonetheless and handing it over to Kanon as he took hers.

"I gotta get yours, too," she started. "Who knows what could happen. It's best to have both your numbers . . . Oh! Good! You use this app, too!"

"I use it to contact the team in one go with the group chat function," he said, knowing that she was pertaining to the only messaging application in his phone.

"Really nifty, isn't it?" Kanon pointed out.

As Kuroo typed in his name and number, he suddenly felt like he was being watched. Slowly, he lifted his head towards the direction of their classroom. Inside he saw a few boys by the window staring back at him. For some reason, they seemed not too pleased with him.

"Kuro?" Kenma called.

"I'm unsettled by the way some of your classmates are looking at me right now," he said, typing in his number.

Kanon quikly peeked in their classroom and giggled as she identified the said boys. "Oh, them. . . . Pay them no attention."

"Did something happened?"

"Well, you could say that," she replied, giving him his phone back. "Kozume-kun heard the whole thing."

"What happened?" he added, taking his phone and handing her hers.

"They made a bet on Ishigami," Kenma said, also giving their classmates a quick glance. "One bet that if he could get her number then the other should treat him to something good and . . ." he looked at Kanon.

"Then the other one said," she continued for him after seeing that Kenma was hesitation to finish the sentence, "that he'll treat the one who started the bet for a week if he could get me to fall for him within a month."

"Should consider myself lucky for getting your number then," Kuroo laughed, looking at her contact details in his phone.

"Pretty much!" she laughed back.

Kuroo pocket his phone. "So, we good this Sunday?"

"Oh no, not this Sunday though," Kanon added. "I have stuff to do this weekend. Is next Sunday okay with you, guys?"

"Sure," he answered for both him and Kenma.

"Cool," she chirped. "So . . . the meeting place is at . . . where do you guys live, by the way?"

"Nerima," they chorused.

She blinked. "Did you guys grew up in the same neighbourhood, too?"

"Yeah," Kuroo answered.

"I see . . ." Kanon smiled warmly at his answer. "That's rather nice to know. . . . You guys remind me of those two. . . ."

"Friends back in Miyagi?"

"Yeah. . . . Anyway, I live in Mitaka now."

"Mitaka. . . ." he repeated, remembering which railway line served that neighbourhood. "You take the Chuo Sobu Line, then?"

Kanon nodded.

"Higashi-Nakano," Kenma said simply. "Both lines intersect at that station."

"That settles it then," Kuroo looked at his friend, shocked at how fast he was able to suggest their meeting place.

"Noted!" Kanon responded with a salute.

The bell rang; lunch break was over. Kuroo took his leave as the two scrambled to get back inside their classroom. There was a smile on his lips as he made his way back to his classroom. It was a good call dropping by Kenma's floor today for lunch.

When he got to his seat, he felt his phone vibrate. On the screen said:

 **Ishigami Kanon sent you a sticker.**

It was a sticker of a little girl bowing politely. He replied with 'you're welcome' and waited for the read icon to appear next to his message. But seeing her name in his phone triggered his curiosity once again.

He thumbed his way to her timeline, hoping that it will lead to something substantial. There were three posts in it. The first one was a snapshot of her transfer papers to Nekoma which she laid right on top of her new school uniform with a caption: It's final. The second was her boots in the snow. The caption read: I'll miss you. The last post was a pair of earrings. Kuroo was uncertain if she was wearing the same pair today but his eyes were on the caption: Please, look after me.

* * *

Note: This chapter is dedicated to ChigUnnie, Madama Crimson, Animefreak-Girl 21, farewellhello, and IceChelle. Thank you very much!

Guest, I will try. Thank you!

Madama Crimson, reverse harem's my favourite genre. In due time, he'll make his appearance.

Rovigna, it's fun teasing Kenma.

Minki, I love how you described Kanon. Thank you!

And thank you guys for reading!


	5. Vimana

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue. © Furudate Haruichi & Shueisha Publishing Co., Ltd.

* * *

Chapter Five: Vimana

 _"Behind your eyes, I see a glint that forces me to fade away_

 _Was my memories with time, I'll be as pure as you"_

#

"We're going on ahead," Hanamaki announced by the door of the club changing room, Matsukawa at his heels.

"See you tomorrow!" Oikawa waved at them before returning his attention inside his locker.

He was in the middle of sorting through the clothes he used for practice when his phone started buzzing. Oikawa glanced at it and decided to ignore it upon seeing the name displayed on the screen. He continued on with rearranging his stuff, waiting patiently for the caller to give up. When it ended, he grabbed at it quickly and frowned at the total number of missed calls he got while he was at practice including the recent one.

"Twenty-three?" he said, astonished at first then annoyed at how persistent the caller was. "That's a new record. What about the messages?"

He dared not open any of the thirty-one messages that came with the missed calls. Fearing that the twenty-fourth call was on its way, Oikawa turned his phone off and squeezed it inside his bag before zipping it. He slung the strap over his shoulder, closed his locker, and turned around.

"Took you long enough," Iwaizumi commented, arms crossed in front of him.

"You know how I like to make sure my stuff are nice and neat," he began, making his way for the door. "Unlike Iwa-chan."

"You said something?" his friend snarled at him.

"Nope," Oikawa added, wrapping his scarf around his neck.

Once outside the changing room, he waited for Iwaizumi to lock up before heading down the steps and onto the path leading to the gates of Aoba Jousai. Hands in their pockets, they silently made it to the snow covered pavement beyond the premises of the school.

"Talk about freezing," he started, plume visible as he spoke. "Ne, Iwa-chan. Do you think it's this cold over there, too?"

"No idea," Iwaizumi answered. "Why don't you ask her yourself?"

"Good idea!" Oikawa chirped, already thinking of the good it will do him after receiving all those calls and messages. "Can I borrow your phone for a bit then?"

"Use yours."

"My phone died," he lied with a smile. "I forgot to charge it during practice and she seems to answer faster when she sees that it's from you."

"Tch," Iwaizumi hesitated for a bit before taking his phone out and handing it over to him.

"The crack on your screen is annoying," Oikawa complained, tapping on the messaging application and scrolling down for her name in the contact list.

"If you're going to complain about it then give it back, Crappykawa," Iwaizumi retorted.

"Can't," he said, placing a video call when he found her name. "Calling. . . ."

With both hands holding the phone upright, Oikawa stretched his arms in front of him as he walked, making sure that he looked presentable on the tiny screen on the upper right corner of the phone. It took exactly four seconds before the call was accepted.

There, through the cracked screen, was a familiar face. She was blinking in confusion back at him. He assumed that she placed her phone on her study desk before answering. She appeared to be sitting straight in her chair, a hairbrush in her hand.

"T-Tooru?" she stuttered.

"Ishi-chan!" he greeted, flashing her his signature smile. "Did you just got out of the shower?"

"Hey there," Kanon greeted back. "Yeah . . . I just did."

"How come Ishi-chan doesn't seem happy to see me?" he said with a pout, noticing how perplexed she still looked through the screen.

"It's not like that," she insisted, smiling at him. "I'm just rather shocked to see you. . . . I mean . . . this is Hajime's phone you are using, right?"

"It's because you don't answer my calls or video calls as fast as you would when Iwa-chan calls you," he whined.

He heard her sigh, no doubt, in exasperation. "Your timing's terrible. When you tried to call me today, I was on the train. You know how rude it is to answer or make calls on the train."

"Excuses, excuses!" chided Oikawa.

"Tooru!" she begged, putting her hairbrush down. "Don't be so dramatic!"

"If you're not going to talk to her properly, just end the call already," Iwaizumi scolded, irritated by his antics.

"Hello, Hajime," Kanon said suddenly, waving.

"Hey," he replied loud enough for her to hear with a nod.

Oikawa stopped walking to gape at Iwaizumi then back at Kanon feeling somewhat neglected. "How come you greet Iwa-chan nicely?"

"That's because Hajime would always choose to talk to me properly," she explained, crossing her arms and leaning back on her seat. "So . . . why did you call?"

"Don't be like that," he said, trying his best to look hurt as they continued walking. "I just wanted to know how our Ishi-chan's doing?"

"Are you my parents now?" she asked, giggling and uncrossing her arms. Kanon sat straight, again, picked her hairbrush up and ran it through the ends of her hair. "I'm doing good. You guys just got off from practice?"

"Yup," Oikawa answered. "Walking to the bus stop as we speak."

"I can see that."

"Guess what, Ishi-chan," he said, excited. "I'm no longer just the setter of the team."

"The third years have retired?"

"Yup!"

"Making you the captain now, right?"

"Correct!"

Kanon's lips curled upward from the news. "I was already expecting that but, nevertheless, that's good to know. And Hajime's the vice-captain?"

Oikawa nodded both for confirming Iwaizumi's new position and at how she smiled at the information. He then felt Iwaizumi's hand on his shoulder. He looked at his friend who only nodded ahead. They were approaching the main road. Oikawa held the phone with his right hand and moved it closer as if the video call turned into a phone call. "Hold on, we're about to cross the road."

They stopped and waited for the pedestrian light to turn green for them. Their bus stop was on the other side of the road.

"Speaking of volleyball clubs," Kanon went on once they made it to the other side of the road and Oikawa resumed his arm position. "I've met two members of the boys' volleyball club. One of them is actually in my class."

"Are they any good?" Iwaizumi asked before Oikawa could.

"I don't know," she shook her head. "I haven't seen them play yet. The setter's in my class."

"What are your thoughts about him then?" Oikawa inquired.

"Well, to be honest, he doesn't look the part," she admitted, her face scrunching up a bit from recalling. "Kozume-kun has this somewhat uninterested facade about him but it works for him. Their opponents will have a hard time reading his tosses."

"You mean he's like Kunimi?" he suggested.

"In a way," Kanon agreed.

"What about the other one?" Iwaizumi added, moving closer to Oikawa in order to address her better.

"The other one is a middle blocker," she replied, her eyes glancing over at Iwaizumi's direction. "Kuroo-kun's in the same year as you guys. And just like you, Tooru, he's been recently made captain. He's also quite tall."

"How tall?" asked Oikawa.

"Around your height, I think?" she said. "But unlike the other one, this one's pretty curious."

"What do you mean by that?" there was an edge to Iwaizumi's voice when he questioned her, again.

Kanon looked a bit surprised by the sudden change in his tone but, slowly, she gave him a lopsided smile—a reassuring sign just like the manner in which she continued with, "it's okay, Hajime. I'm new here after all so it's understandable that he would ask me a bunch of questions. But they're okay. They kind remind me a bit of you two."

"In what way?"

"They're childhood friends, too."

"Ishi-chan sounds like a spy," interjected Oikawa, wanting nothing more than to alter the mood of the conversation. "A very pretty one, too!"

"Huh? What?" she said, surprised.

His words made her stop brushing her hair and her cheeks glowed a faint pink hue. "Just noticed. Looks like Tokyo has been treating you better than I expected. Don't you think so, Iwa-chan?"

"Tooru, what are you—" he heard her protest as he shoved the phone right under Iwaizumi's nose for a closer look. They were finally at the stop and was waiting for the bus to arrive.

Iwaizumi stared back, blinking a few times before mumbling, "Ah . . ."

"Eh?" Kanon barely said.

"See?" Oikawa gushed, redirecting the phone back onto him. "Even Iwa-chan is speechless!"

As his remark left his lips, he felt a blunt pain on the back of his head. The solidness and broadness assured him that the weapon was Iwaizumi's bag. Laughter from the phone made Oikawa straighten up to look at Kanon.

"And that's what you get for teasing us," she said knowingly.

"I wasn't teasing neither of you," he told her, rubbing the part of his head that collided with the bag. "It was the truth."

"Sure . . . it was," Kanon mocked, rolling her eyes. "But, going back to our previous topic, I'll be learning more about those two this coming Sunday."

It was Oikawa's turn to look at her incredulously. "What?"

"They offered to take me around Kappabashi since I told them I needed a few kitchen supplies," she explained.

"Don't let your guard down just because they seem friendly," he warned her.

"This coming from you?" Kanon argued, raising a brow. "The guy with the many fangirls?"

Iwaizumi snorted from behind him. "The bus is here."

"Ishi-chan, I'm just worried," Oikawa hurriedly said.

"You have nothing to be worried about," she assured him. "You guys better get going."

"All right," Oikawa agreed nonetheless, frowning. "I'll call you again when I get home so pick up, okay?"

"Okay," she said, waving at both of them. "Get home safe, you two!"

They waved back. She hung up and Oikawa handed the phone back to Iwaizumi. They boarded the bus, paid their fees, and took their seats.

"Oh!" he said, sticking his tongue out, embarrassed by his own realisation. "I forgot to ask her about the weather over there."

"You idiot," Iwaizumi added.

"I'll just ask her later then," he noted more to himself than to his friend. "Isn't it nice that we're able to talk to her again like we used to back in Kitagawa Daiichi?"

Iwaizumi was staring out the window and only nodded as a reply. His arms were crossed in front of him. Oikawa then opened his bag and took out his phone to turn it on. There was a slight tilt of Iwaizumi's head towards his direction followed by his voice, "your phone's not really dead, is it?"

"Of course, it isn't," he said nonchalantly.

"Why don't you just break up with her if you're going to keep ignoring her like that?" Iwaizumi asked, glaring at him.

"I don't want to be the bad guy here and break her heart," he told him. "That's rather cruel, Iwa-chan."

"It's better than making her wait on you all the time."

"This is why you don't have any girlfriend, Iwa-chan," Oikawa tried to explain but he only ended up earning a quick smack on the back of his head.

"Cruel, huh?" he barked. "Knowing you, you got other reasons for doing so."

Oikawa grinned. Iwaizumi clearly knew him too well. He leaned back on his seat and looked up at the ceiling of the bus. "They can leave me if they want to but once I'm out there, again, it'll be easy for me to attract potential girlfriends . . . and when that happens there's a chance that she would want me back."

"Your point?"

"In the end," he began, withdrawing his attention from the ceiling and turning to look at his friend in the eye. "I still have power over her."

"You really are a shitty guy," Iwaizumi concluded, looking back at him with every bit of disapproval within his gaze. "Why did you even agreed to go out with her in the first place?"

"Because she's popular and so am I," Oikawa said, smiling. "It'll both do us good."

"Tch," his friend went back to staring out the window. "Wait until Kanon finds out how horrible you turned out to be."

Mentioning her name wiped the confidence and composure out of him from what felt like a triumphant speech. "Don't tell her anything!"

"You're not planning on telling her at all?" Iwaizumi glanced at him in disbelief.

"There's no need for Ishi-chan to know," he explained. "Besides, if I keep this up long enough it won't be long until she leaves me out of frustration."

"She deserves to know," implored Iwaizumi. "She's your friend—just imagine how upset she'll be if she finds out from somebody else rather than you."

Oikawa sighed. He hated how Iwaizumi would reason him into consideration. Worse, though, was the thought of upsetting someone they recently re-established a steady communication with.

"How long has it been, again?" he asked, closing his eyes and leaning back.

"Seven months," Iwaizumi said, taking his eyes off of Oikawa and glancing at the road ahead.

"Fine," he finally said. "But if she broke up with me before I could tell Ishi-chan, then there's no point in telling her at all."

Iwaizumi nodded and pressed the stop button by the window.

* * *

Note: this chapter is dedicated to Random2Friends, Arciia, OddSenjuOut, Redonix, and darlynfaustino. Thank you so much!

anonymonkey, let me finish this first before coming back there. Thank you for dropping by here.

Guest, I'm sorry but I cannot reveal so soon. Hang in there, okay?

And thank you all for reading!


	6. Keep Up With Me

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue. © Furudate Haruichi & Shueisha Publishing Co., Ltd.

* * *

Chapter Six: Keep Up With Me

 _"Keep up with me if you're wanting something more_

 _Keep on moving to the rhythm on the floor"_

#

Casually clothed in denim jeans and a hooded pullover on top of his shirt to keep him warm, Kenma waited. He sat on the edge of his bed that Sunday afternoon thumbs busy with his handheld device. He was revisiting a game in order to unlock a few trophies when he heard the doorbell rang from below.

 _'Must be Kuro,'_ he thought, saving his progress and turning the device off.

He slipped it inside the pocket of his jacket, stood from his bed, and left his room. When he made it to the living room, he saw Kuroo chatting animatedly with his mother. The smile on his friend's face only meant danger in his eyes.

"Off to practice?" his mother asked, motioning for Kuroo to take a sit.

"It's too late for practice now." Kuroo shock his head, declining politely. "We're off to Kappabashi for today."

"Oh?" Mrs. Kozume titled her head a bit in surprise and curiosity. "What business do you two have there on a lovely weekend afternoon?"

"Kenma has a new classmate this term," he started, shooting Kenma a glance. "She's a transfer from Miyagi and needs a few new kitchen utensils so we offered to go out with her today."

"She?" enunciated Mrs. Kozume, delighted. "I never thought Kenma would have a girl friend."

"She's not my girlfriend," Kenma protested, inviting himself into the conversation before Kuroo could exaggerate things.

Kuroo chortled and Mrs. Kozume looked slightly alarmed at his sudden appearance.

"Oh dear, I didn't mean it like that," his mother added. "I meant, female friend."

"Oh," Kenma averted his gaze, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

"But," she began, smiling at him. "I wouldn't mind if you decided to have one. You boys are in high school after all. Isn't it time for you to experience the wonders of dating and relationships?"

"Don't worry, obasan," Kuroo assured her. "I'm on it."

"You're sly as ever," Mrs. Kozume commented, giggling behind her hand. "Well, don't let me keep you from enjoying your weekend afternoon, boys."

"We better go," Kenma thankfully said, making his way for the door.

"And, Kenma," his mother called, his hand on the knob. "Make sure you bring her here sometimes. I would love to meet your new _female_ friend for a change. No offense, Tetsurou-kun."

"None taken," Kuroo responded, nodding in agreement before stepping ahead of him out the door.

Kenma sighed and followed after. Beyond their gate and out of earshot from his mother, he gave his friend a cold look as they walked on. "Was it necessary for you to tell her that?"

"Of course," Kuroo answered, grinning.

Another sigh left Kenma as he pulled his phone from the buzz he felt. There was a notification from the messaging application:

 _ **Ishigami Kanon: I'm about to leave home. See you guys in a bit!**_

"Is that her?" Kuroo leaned close to read the message.

"Yeah," he said, thumb hovering as the thought of a reply.

"If she gets there first, tell her to get on the Oedo Line platform and wait for us there," Kuroo instructed.

With the message sent and read, they continued on to the nearest station which was a block away. Keeping themselves to the left, they took the escalators heading down for the underground platforms.

"Six stations away," Kuroo said once they got on the train.

There was nothing to see from the windows since the entire line ran underground. Kenma took out his handheld device and continued with his game. The train eventually slowing down for the next station.

"It's Sunday," his friend uttered. "Do you think she'll be wearing something special?"

"What are you getting at?" Kenma mumbled, half-focusing on his game and half-musing on the possibilities.

"Over there," Kuroo said, casting his eyes on a group of girls who stood by the opposite door. There were dressed like the girls Kenma often saw on the magazine covers brought by his other female classmates to school. "Sundays are for expressing yourself."

He paused his game and wondered for a bit. Kenma stared at the girls and tried to imagine Kanon next to them. For the weeks that they regularly talking during class, lunch, and the ten minute break between periods, she appeared to him simple yet confident.

"I don't think so," Kenma finally answered. "Ishigami doesn't seem the type."

"But who knows," Kuroo insisted, looking around at the other passengers.

"You're setting yourself up for disappointment," he said, continuing with his game.

They kept quiet for the next stations that followed. Kenma's concentration broken only by the cry of the baby from the family who sat across them. As the train slowed down for Higashi-Nakano, Kuroo stood up. "Let's find out then."

Kenma slipped his device back in his jacket pocket and got off after Kuroo. They both craned their necks on the island platform for Kanon. Knowing what to look for, Kenma spotted her on the bench near one of the vending machines. Just as he thought, she dressed casually for today as well.

"I told you," Kenma addressed Kuroo before striding over to greet her.

"Kozume-kun!" she said, standing up.

Kanon wore a pair of black jeans which she tucked in her military boots. Underneath her olive drab bomber jacket, Kenma saw her yellow shit studded with tiny red stars. She carried a beige backpack.

"Guess you're right," Kuroo said quietly as he gave Kanon a curt wave.

"Hello, Kuroo-kun," Kanon greeted him.

"Did you wait long?"

She shook her head. "We're supposed to get on the train you guys just got off from, right?"

"That's the plan."

"Then you should have just told me to get on the train when it got here."

"Ah . . . that's because we wanted to properly greet you by getting off and fetching you here," Kuroo explained with a mischievous smile.

Kanon chuckled. "Smooth . . . but thanks."

"The next train will be here soon," Kenma informed the two, looking at the tracks.

When they got on the train, they noticed that there seemed to be more on board around this time. There were no available seats for them to take. They stood along the aisle, hands on the hanging straps.

"So . . . how many stations before we transfer for the Ginza Line?" Kanon asked, looking at Kuroo then at Kenma—they stood on either side of her.

"It all depends which one you'd prefer," Kuroo said, tilting his head to look at her.

"What do you mean?"

"If we stay on board, we'll have to stand for seven stations before transferring to the Ginza Line. From there, that's fourteen stations before Tawaramachi or . . ." he told her, the train stopping for the next station, "we can get off after two more stations then get on the other side of the platform for the starting train which means we'll be able to sit down. From there, that's nine stations before transferring then another three."

She was nodding at the information. "And time wise, what's the difference?"

"There's none, actually," Kuroo added.

During Kuroo's explanation, the trained stopped for another station. The buzzer came on and the doors closed. Kenma stuck his hand inside the pocket of his jacket when Kanon placed a hand over his arm.

"Wait," she said. "Let's get off at the next station so we could sit down and you could play better."

"So, you wanna take the second route for his sake?" Kuroo was grinning.

"Yup." Kanon smiled at him in return.

They got off at the next station and went over to the awaiting train across the platform. They took the seats next to the door. The minute Kenma took his handheld device and turned it on, Kanon leaned a bit to look at the screen.

"What are you playing today?" she queried.

"This." He moved the device in between them when the title of the game came up. "Redoing stuff for the trophies."

"That one, huh," Kanon said, frowning. "Good for you."

"Have you played it?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "And sure am glad that I was able to finish it. I don't think I wanna redo it for the trophies though. . . . You sure are patient for the things you like, Kozume-kun."

"Oh, he is," Kuroo alluded. "He tends to study and strategise well before making his move . . . no matter how long it takes."

The train ride took twenty minutes of their time which was spent on Kenma playing while Kanon watched. There were moments where she asked if she could unlock a few trophies for him. He obliged and found that, much to his relief, she was not a bad player over all. She got frustrated at some of it but when he offered to guide her, she listened and followed well.

"Hey, you two," Kuroo called, making Kanon pause the game. "Time to transfer."

She handed the gadget back to Kenma. They got up and proceeded to get to the other line. As they passed the turnstile, the train came slowing down. They hopped on and stood on the aisle once more for a short ride to their destination.

"Hooray!" Kanon exclaimed, reaching the top of the stairs from the underground station. "Quest activated!"

"Aren't you rather excited?" Kuroo commented, smiling at her childish behaviour.

She grinned back at him, pulling her phone out. "Let's start with pots and pans then."

"You have a list?"

"Of course! she claimed. "I don't wanna be sidetracked."

Kanon turned and led the way. As they followed, Kenma saw something hanging on her backpack. It was a small keychain of a brown tabby cat standing on its four legs.

"Let's go here first," she said, stopping and pointing at the store to her left.

With her list, she was able to shop methodically and only asked Kuroo for help when she was unable to reach for something she needed. Kenma saw no reason for him to take his gadget out to keep him busy with as they went from one store to the other. After exiting their fifth store, Kanon accumulated three shopping bags.

"Kenma," Kuroo called silently so only he could hear as they followed Kanon. "Watch and learn."

"Watch and learn what?" he asked, perplexed.

"I'll carry those for you," Kuroo offered, suddenly lengthening his steps to catch up with her.

"It's okay," she answered, adjusting her hold on the bags. "I can manage."

"Don't be stubborn," he argued, hand ready to take her purchase. "Copperwares are heavy."

"Not really," Kanon insisted, lifting the plastic bags a bit as if to prove they were not.

"What would people think seeing that you got two escorts and none of them wants to help you out," Kuroo said, looking rather smug.

"You sure know what to say," she said jokingly before giving up and letting Kuroo take the bags from her. "Here . . . and thank you, Kuroo-kun."

Kuroo fell back to walk beside Kenma. "Persist gently until she gives in."

Kenma only shrugged. The last stop they made was at a knife store. Kanon promptly went up to the counter where an elderly man listened attentively to her requests. He then left his post and walked around the store pulling knife after knife from the display cabinets. When he returned, he laid three knives in front of her. She held each of them, gripped the handles, placed them back in their boxes, and confirmed that she wanted to buy all three.

"That's everything," Kanon said, checking her phone as they stepped out of the shop. She pocketed it then looked up. "Oh, it got dark so soon."

"It's winter after all," Kenma added, looking up as well."

"You guys up for dinner?" she looked at Kenma then at Kuroo. "I'm rather hungry from all that walking we did."

"Sure," Kuroo agreed, "and we getter get going before Kenma could refuse."

"How about something to warm us up?" Kanon suggested already looking at some of the restaurants between the stores. "Ramen . . . perhaps . . . are you okay with that, Kozume-kun?"

Kenma nodded feeling somewhat hungry himself. They found one across the street. When they got in, the staffs greeted them loudly. The place was slightly cramped. There were a few middle-aged men chatting and laughing away by the bar. They took the only free table—Kenma sat next to Kanon as Kuroo sat across them. One of the staffs came by their table as soon as they were comfortably seated.

"What are you guys having?" Kanon was looking at the menu by the wall written on wooden plaques.

"What are you having?" Kuroo threw her question right back at her.

"Hmm . . . tonkotsu," she said. "With a side order of gyoza . . . and maybe an extra order of ajitama?"

"You weren't joking about being hungry," he remarked. He looked at the staff, "we'll have three tonkotsu, gyoza, and an extra ajitama for the lady, please."

"Three tonkotsu, gyoza, and ajitama," the staff repeated and left to tend to their orders.

Kenma continued Kanon's saved file. Just like before, she leaned a bit to look at the progress he was making.

"Maybe I'll give it another go," she whispered, Kenma stole a glance at her. "After seeing how well you play—how you told me what to do . . . the thought of revisiting suddenly doesn't sound so bad."

"Oh," was the only thing he could come up with upon hearing her so close to him.

"And, Kozume-kun," he knew she was waiting for him to look at her longer. Kenma glanced at Kuroo first. Seeing that he was busy with his phone, he paused the game and turned to Kanon where she continued, "thank you for today."

"You don't need to—"

She shook her head. "I know you just got dragged into this because of that guy." She pointed discreetly towards Kuroo. "You even brought your gadget with you."

"Well . . ." what was he supposed to say now? That's just who he was and he knew that Kanon knew that. He then heard her giggle.

"It's okay," she comforted him. "At least, I now know how to get those trophies."

"Uhm," he tentatively started, offering her the device once more, certain the she would understand his gesture, "you could get the last trophy if you want."

"Eh?" she replied, eyes widening. "You sure?"

"Yeah."

But before she could take it from his hands, the staff returned from the kitchen to place their orders on the table. Kuroo perked up and stowed his phone away to start digging in.

Kanon smiled at Kenma as she grabbed her chopsticks. "Later then?"

He nodded, tucking into his dinner as well. They talked a bit about school as they enjoyed their hot meal, sharing the side dish Kanon asked for. As the staff came back to refill their glasses with water, she laid the bill on the table. Kuroo extended his arm for it when Kanon snatched it right under his hand.

"I got it," she announced, hoisting her backpack and marching towards the cashier by the door.

"Oi!" Kuroo called after her, grabbing the shopping bags and standing right next to her. "I'm the eldest here, let me pay."

"Nope," she said, practically pushing him away.

"Are you going to be stubborn here as well?" he tried getting around her.

"Let me pay for this one," she persevered, fishing out a five thousand Yen bill from her wallet. "To say thank you for going out with me today."

Kenma let Kanon step out of the restaurant first before sneaking a word at Kuroo. "Smooth."

"We'll take the same route back, right?" Kanon asked once they were walking towards the station.

"We'll take a different route back," Kuroo told her. "A convenient route for you."

She turned around to face them which made her walk backward. "What do you mean?

"We'll get off at Kanda," Kenma explained. "Then we'll take the Chuo Line Rapid."

"Oh!" she said, surprised. "But that means you won't get off at Higashi-Nakano, right?"

"No," Kuroo added. "We'll have to get off at Shinjuku instead."

Slowly, she frowned at his words. "I just thought we'd part at the same place where we met up."

"You sound like we won't be seeing each other tomorrow," Kuroo jested.

"Way to ruin the mood." Kanon laughed regardless.

"And you shouldn't be walking like that," he cautioned.

"Roget that, captain," she said, turning on her heel but stopped midway when she came face to face with the store window they were passing by.

Stopping alongside Kuroo, Kenma looked at the window. It was a shop for baking and confectionary gear that caught her attention.

"Ishigami?" Kenma called.

"January's almost over," she said absentmindedly. Making up her mind, she waltzed inside the store, hurriedly telling them over her shoulder, "give me three minutes."

When Kanon reappeared, she was hugging a bag of her new purchase, a satisfied smile on her lips. As they got on the train, Kuroo managed to spot a seat for her to take as they stood in front of her. Kenma handed his gadget so she could get the last trophy for him, stooping down every now and then to guide her just like before. Thankfully, she managed to get the trophy a station before they parted.

"Next is your stop," she said, handing Kenma back his device. She then placed her right hand in the pocket of her jacket. "Can you guys show me your palms, please?"

Kenma blinked at her but obliged. He presented his hand in front of her, palm facing upward. Kuroo did the same. She pulled her hand out, covered whatever she was holding by bending forward, then straightened up with both her hands balled up in front of her. She set both her fists on their palms.

"Every quest has a reward," she said, unfolding her hands.

Kanon pulled her hands away to reveal they each got a keychain. Kenma received a sleeping calico cat. He looked over at Kuroo's hand and saw a sitting black cat. They seemed to be connected with the keychain affixed to her bag. The intercom announced their station and the train was slowing down.

"T-thank you," said Kenma, slightly smiling.

Kuroo gave her the shopping bags which she placed on her lap, "here you go and thanks for this." He slipped the keyring onto his forefinger.

"You're welcome," Kanon replied. "And thank you as well. See you guys tomorrow!"

The two got off but Kenma turned to look at Kanon one more time. She had her eyes on them, a smile lingering on her lips. With a wave from her, the train left the station.

"Today was fun, wasn't it?" he heard Kuroo ask from behind him.

Kenma nodded as he pocketed the keychain next to his handheld device.

* * *

Note: this chapter is dedicated to MourningMonday, ReaderFreak, kitkatalvarez, and MidnightJynx1813. Thank you so much!

And thank you all for reading!


	7. Potions

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue. © Furudate Haruichi & Shueisha Publishing Co., Ltd.

* * *

Chapter Seven: Potions

 _"It's in this soundless, audible common sense_

 _Be that as it may, this is my down-to-earth defence"_

#

Kuroo yawned beside Kenma as they got off at Asakusa Station on the morning of February third. It was also a Saturday. Normally, Kuroo set the team's weekend practices in the morning but, for today, he pushed it back to after lunch. He told Kenma last night that he wanted to drop by Senso-ji temple to relive childhood memories that morning.

"Place is packed as always," Kuroo said, eyeing the thick crowd by the entrance of the temple as they waited for the pedestrian light to change.

"This was your idea," Kenma retorted.

The light changed and they crossed the road. The crowd was made up of both locals and tourists from within the country and abroad. They busied themselves taking snapshots of the colossal paper lantern by the first gate. Kenma noticed that only a few of them were kneeling down to look underneath the lantern.

"I guess some of them are aware of the wooden carving of the dragon," Kuroo commented, walking pass them.

Beyond the gate, Kenma sighed knowing they needed to weave through the rest of the tourists flocking the street leading to the inner complex of the temple. Small shops that sold traditional items and dishes lined their way.

"Er . . ." Kenma muttered, sidestepping a group of foreigners in front of him who abruptly stopped in their tracks.

"Hang in there," Kuroo encouraged him. "We're almost there."

After struggling through the throngs of people for a few minutes, they finally made it to the second gate. Unlike the single massive lantern from the first, the second gate was adorned with three lanterns which the tourists were happy to aim their cameras and phones at as well.

There was a different group by the temple itself. This was the memory Kuroo wanted to revisit. There were kindergarten kids on the steps with matching outfits. They were preparing to ward off their foes that morning. But before he could turn to see if Kuroo was looking at the children wistfully, his eyes were suddenly covered with what felt like something warm and soft.

"Kuro," Kenma began, certain that his friend was doing it out of fun. "Knock it off."

"I wish I could," Kuroo spoke in front of him. "But that isn't me."

"What?" he said, taken aback. "Then who—?"

The palms he thought were Kuroo's left his eyes and rested upon his shoulders. He slowly turned his head to his right and found a pair of green eyes staring back at him. A matching smile from the owner to greet him with.

"Hello, Kozume-kun," Kanon acknowledged, stepping back a bit and taking off her hands from his shoulders so he could face her properly. "Sorry about that."

"No . . . it's okay." He blinked at her.

"I was looking at some masks when I saw the pair of you pass by," she explained. "Off to practice?"

"Yeah," Kuroo answered. "But after lunch."

"I see."

"You look different today," he added.

Kenma gave his classmate a once over. What made Kanon looked different was probably due to her deep red coat: it gave off a feminine touch compared to the bomber jacket she wore last week. Underneath it, he noticed at least eight centimetres of what appeared to be the hem of a dark grey skirt which she paired with black tights. Her military boots finished her outfit.

"It must be the coat," she suggested with a shrug. "I got this from a vintage store on my first week here. I think it's called a pea coat? Does it look okay?"

"It looks more than okay in my opinion," Kuroo commented, appraising her. "You look really nice. Right, Kenma?"

"Ah . . . yeah," there was no need for Kenma to look at Kuroo to confirm that he was grinning. He felt it the second he agreed with him.

"Thanks," Kanon said, beaming at them. "And might I just add that the two of you look fetching in your red Nekoma tracksuits."

"If there was a bull in here right now, I bet it won't hesitate and charge at the three of us," Kuroo told her.

"My coat is burgundy," she added. "Not red."

"It's in the same shade."

"And it's been proven that bulls aren't agitated by the colour red," Kanon corrected him, crossing her arms. "Bulls are colour blind. They are more irritated by the movement of the cape regardless of its colour."

Kuroo whistled. "Smarty-pants."

"Not really." Kanon laughed. "I just like to watch a lot of random things."

Kenma saw the temple priests making their way towards them, parting the crowd in their wake. "It's about to start."

The kids by the temple held onto small wooden boxes, their faces marked with anticipation. As the priests proceeded with the program, the parents and onlookers nearby whipped out their phones, cameras, and video cameras to document the event.

"Ah," Kuroo sighed. "This sure brings back memories."

"You participated when you were a kid?" Kanon asked, taking out her phone.

"We did," Kenma answered much to his surprise.

"Really?" she said.

Just then a growl from the crowd had sent the kids in mild fear and panic. Kenma looked at the direction of the noise as Kanon pointed her phone. Two men dressed in what resembled jumpsuits were approaching them. One in green and one in red. Both wore animal printed shorts over it and their faces were covered in demon and ogre masks.

"Kenma used to be scared whenever it's time for them to make their entrance," Kuroo informed Kanon.

"I wasn't," Kenma argued.

"Yes, you were."

"No."

"You definitely were."

"Definitely not."

"I would be," Kanon interjected, halting their banter. "I mean, in that age . . . most definitely."

"See?" Kuroo pointed out. "Nothing to be ashamed of."

"But I wasn't," Kenma said flatly.

Swinging their clubs around, the men in costumes tried scaring the kids as much as possible. But upon the word of the priests, they started scooping the contents of their wooden boxes. Little hands catapulted roasted soybeans towards the club-wielding men. Soon after, with their united efforts, their foes admitted defeat.

"And that is how you cleanse away all the evil of the former year," Kuroo said, smiling at the children. "Also driving away evil spirits that brought misfortune and bad health."

"So you use roasted soybeans here," Kanon noted, picking up a stray as they moved away from the temple.

"What do you use back in Miyagi?" asked Kuroo.

"Roasted peanuts," she answered, pocketing the bean. "It's almost lunch."

"Do you always think of food?" He smirked at her.

"Sometimes." She smiled back at him, undeterred.

Kuroo stared at her for a bit before letting out a short laughter. "What do you have in mind?"

"Let's try the vendors over there," she pointed somewhere close to the second gate. "I swear I caught a whiff of something _really_ good a while ago."

She marched on just beyond the second gate, the two following behind. When they got there, Kenma noticed that they were mostly snacks. He didn't mind since he was a light eater but . . .

"This is your idea of lunch?" as Kenma predicted, Kuroo was going to say something about it.

"Yup," Kanon said, already moving close to the stall selling octopus balls.

"Are you sure that that will fill you up?"

"Nope," she answered, ready to make an order. "But after this, I'll move onto the other stalls until I'm full."

"If that's the case," he stood next to her and asked for three orders of octopus balls. "I got this as a payback for last week and for whatever else your tummy wishes to have for lunch."

Kanon laughed heartily at his notion, punching him lightly on his arm as the vendor readied their orders. When they were served and Kuroo was paying, Kanon took two and immediately handed one to Kenma, "here you go."

"Thank you," he said.

They munched on it for a bit, savouring the warmth in their mouths. Kanon suggested they try the fried noodles on the stall beside next. Seeing that they also sold deep fried chicken, she added some to their orders. After the combination, Kenma refused to join them as Kanon asked for a grilled squid and Kuroo got a baked fish on a stick. He contented himself with a fish-shaped cake for dessert.

"This is perfect," Kuroo said, taking a bite of his fish close to the head.

"Really?" Kanon asked. "Can I have a pinch?"

"Sure."

She pinched a small portion by the tail and popped it into her mouth, "nice and salty."

"Can I have a tentacle in return?" inquired Kuroo.

"Most certainly," she replied.

Kuroo took the longest tentacle and chewed on it, "not bad but I prefer my mackerel."

"I know what you mean," Kanon commented. "Dad would love it."

"He likes mackerel?" he asked, taking a rather huge bite this time.

"Yup," she confirmed. "Don't parents and old people usually do?"

Kuroo almost choked on his fish. Kenma handed him a bottle of water as he told Kanon, "mackerel's his favourite."

"Really?" she said, her hand on Kuroo's back. "I'm sorry."

"You sounded like Yaku," Kuroo coughed.

"Who?"

"Nekoma's libero," Kenma added.

They proceeded to re-enter the inner complex of the temple with Kanon leading the way. She steered them towards the left part where she caught sight of the little garden that featured a small stone bridge.

"Let's wait here," she suggested, arms on the rail of the bridge.

"How'd you get here by the way?" Kuroo began, gazing at the coloured carps by the water. "Took the same route from last weekend?"

She shook her head. "Dad dropped me here before going to work."

"And what does he do?" Kenma could tell that Kuroo was once again curious about her.

"He's a video game designer," Kanon replied with a smile. "Turned to a director and producer as of late."

Kenma stared at her. She never was able to finish telling him what her father did since the day Kuroo barged in on their conversation on her first day in school. Since then, they always talked about school activities and assignments or she asked questions about him. He assumed that she was just into games as much as he was.

"Looks like you never told that bit to Kenma," Kuroo's voice came to pull him out of his thoughts.

"I'm sorry," she apologised, looking at him. "You didn't ask me again so I didn't feel the need to tell you."

"It's okay," Kenma assured her.

"When you say of late," Kuroo shifted the topic back to her. "He got promoted?"

"Not exactly," Kanon said, bringing her eyes over to the fishes. "He left the company last year."

"What happened?" As much as Kenma wanted to stop Kuroo, he found himself drawn into finding out a bit about her father.

"The company was going in a different direction," she explained. "Dad was in a tight-knit group of pioneer video game designers that contributed a lot to the company. Their camaraderie gave the company a steady following but . . . in the recent years that came the company started targeting a different kind of gamers what with technology expanding."

"Meaning?" Kuroo added.

"Mobile games are dominating the market," Kanon said. "The company wanted to focus on it instead of thinking of better ways to satisfy their loyal followers. One by one, dad's friends left stating that they'd rather work for another company who valued their customers than think about the profit they were making."

"And he left last?"

She nodded. "He was still in the middle of finishing his last game for the company."

"But now he's working for a new company?" Kenma asked, uncertain if it was all right to.

"No," she said, turning to look at him. She smiled then continued, "he started an independent studio instead."

"That's good to know," Kuroo concluded, nodding. "What about your mum?"

"Huh?" Kanon blurted out, shifting her gaze at Kuroo who stood behind Kenma. Her eyes widened from surprise. "What?"

"Your mum," he repeated. "What does she do?"

"Uhm . . . my mum. . ." she weakly started.

Kenma saw how her smile faded into a frown. Her eyebrows furrowed as she lowered her gaze and placed it somewhere close to his shoes. Kanon bit her lip, her hands balled by her sides.

"Ishigami?" Kenma called.

His voice jolted her back somehow. Kanon inhaled sharply and chose to look back at Kuroo. As she did, Kenma saw only one thing in her eyes: fear.

"She . . ." Kanon tried, her lips slightly trembled but nothing followed. Failing, she directed her vision at Kenma.

It took him a few seconds to realise that there was something else other than fear within the way she looked at him. The fear she harboured was now marred with silent plea for help which he felt the need to answer to.

"Kuro," he started but Kuroo walked pass him.

His friend stopped next to Kanon and placed his hand on her head. "C'mon, main event's about to start."

With that, Kuroo pulled his hand away and headed for the east side of the temple. Kenma watched Kanon as she closed her eyes and sighed in what he believed was out of relief. She then nodded before opening her eyes, a sad smile on her lips, "let's go."

They were quiet when they joined the crowd eagerly watching the seven performers in traditional garb dance. It was a tribute to the gods but was also meant to bring the audience good luck. And then, the main event was upon them.

Kenma saw the temple priests approached the edge accompanied by selected volunteers and invited guests. The crowd erupted into a cheer when the priests started throwing roasted soybeans and small envelops at them as they shouted:

"Long life and good fortune, come in!"

"Eh?" Kanon uttered beside him. "How come they don't say 'Out with demons, in with luck'?"

"It's because of you," Kuroo answered even before Kenma could explain. "Because you're a goddess."

Kanon stared at him, blinking. She flew a hand to her mouth as she understood what he was trying to tell her. "Nicely put."

"There can be no demons in front of Kannon—the goddess of mercy," he said, catching a small package of roasted soybeans.

"But my name only has two 'n's in it," she said.

"Does it matter?" Kuroo added. "Your names sound exactly the same way."

By the end of the bean-throwing event, Kenma caught two packages of roasted soybeans which he shared with Kanon seeing that she wasn't able to catch any.

"Thank you, Kozume-kun," she said, staring at it before shoving it in the pocket of her coat. "I guess it's time for you to head to Nekoma?"

Kenma nodded. "What about you?"

"I'm going to Shinagawa," Kanon replied as they made it through the second gate. "I'm going to share the soybeans you gave me with dad."

"That's where his studio is?"

"Yup."

Once out the first gate, Kanon decided to tag along since they were all taking the same line. They got on and remained standing even though there were plenty of seats to be taken.

"You sure?" Kuroo asked.

"Yeah," she said, smiling. They got off at Kanda where they parted ways. Kanon bid them goodbye with a wave at the turnstile for the Yamanote Line. "See you on Monday!"

Kenma waved back at his classmate. The two then continued on, taking the same route they took last week with Kanon to get to Shinjuku. As they got on board and was able to secure seats, Kenma took out his handheld device.

"That was rather odd, wasn't it?" Kuroo started.

Kenma gave him a side glance and saw him staring blankly ahead. "Which was?"

"When she wasn't able to answer," he said. "What do you think?"

"I don't want to think about it," Kenma answered honestly. Truth was, it was rather difficult for him to see her like that. He got used to seeing her smile that seeing her terrified over a mere question enough to render her almost mute made him feel uncomfortable. "But it seems personal."

"Makes me wonder if . . ." Kuroo mused.

"If it is," he didn't want Kuroo to finish the sentence. He knew exactly what he was thinking of. "I think it's best not to ask her again about it unless she opened up about it herself."

"I guess you're right," he said, leaning back on his seat, head touching the window. "Nice try though."

"What do you mean?"

"You tried to save her back at the bridge," Kuroo said. Kenma kept quiet and waited for his saved data to load as his friend went on, "then again, I don't blame you for trying. Must be odd seeing her conflicted like that for the first time."

Kenma lifted his eyes a bit to look at his friend—his eyes were closed. "Have you seen her like that before?"

"Yeah," he answered. "But this one is worse than before."

"I see," Kenma said, returning to his game.

"If I were you, I'd get to know her more," he advised. "I think there's something behind those smiles she's so adept at throwing at us."

* * *

Note: this chapter is dedicated to sakuya-hikari, cathywhatever, and Liltorgy. Thank you so much!

Sinpie, thank you so much for taking the time reading and analysing. I'll fix it soon!

And thank you all for reading!


	8. Spit It Out

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue. © Furudate Haruichi & Shueisha Publishing Co., Ltd.

* * *

Chapter Eight: Spit It Out

 _"What's on your mind? Spit it out now_

 _It looks like the time is running out now"_

#

Parting with Oikawa on the corner, Iwaizumi was thankful for the quiet walk he got to enjoy before reaching home. For the days that came by after the video call with Kanon, he couldn't help and wonder what happened on their trip to whatever that place was called. All he could remember was that she needed stuff in the kitchen and they offered to help.

His hand dug for his phone when he felt it buzz in his pocket. Not looking at who was calling, he accepted and greeted, "yeah?"

"Hajime?"

The voice stopped him in his tracks. He pulled the phone away from his ear to glimpse at the name displayed on the screen. He was just thinking about her, now she was on the other end of his phone.

"Kanon," he said, walking.

"Are you home?" she asked.

"Almost there," Iwaizumi answered. "You?"

"Walking home as well," she answered back. "How neat . . . we're both doing the same thing right now."

Iwaizumi smiled at the thought. "What's up?"

"Thought you'd like a full report on my shopping escapade," Kanon started. "You were quite worried about it, too, weren't you?"

"Not really," he lied, reaching his home's gate.

"Really now?"

"That's because I trust your decisions," Iwaizumi added, letting himself in.

"Hajime," she said softly. "Thank you."

"I'm home, by the way," he said, keeping his cool amidst the joy he felt at the way she mentioned his name.

"Me, too."

"Can I call you again in a bit?" Iwaizumi asked as he stepped onto the porch.

"Sure," she said, ending the brief conversation.

Iwaizumi entered and immediately heard the roar of laughter from the living room. His mother called out to him to confirm of his arrival and told him that his dinner was waiting for him on the kitchen counter. When he got to the kitchen, his two younger brothers were busily arguing about a game over their dinner. Not wanting to pick sides, he roughly messed up with their hairs to shut them both, grabbed his bowl and chopsticks, then proceeded to pop his head in the living room. The rest of his siblings—his two younger sisters were watching the after news comedy show with their parents. He got a nod from his father to acknowledge his safe return from school which also meant he could proceed to his room.

He discarded his bag on the floor next to the bed the moment he got inside. He placed his dinner on his desk along with his phone as he sat on the chair. He thought he should give Kanon a few minutes before calling her again so he grabbed his dinner and ate. As he chewed, he contemplated whether to simply call her back or he preferred to see her when a message came for him.

 _ **Ishigami Kanon: Can we do a video call instead?**_

He blinked at her suggestion but wasted no time. Iwaizumi placed his phone upright on his desk and initiated for a video call. When she answered, she was seated properly exactly like the last time they did a video call with Oikawa.

"Hey." She smiled.

"Hello," he said, showing the bowl on his hand and chopsticks on his other. "Have you had dinner yet?"

"Not yet," said Kanon, shaking her head. "Maybe in a bit. Just wanna talk to you for now. Is it okay even though you're eating?"

He nodded. "Sure."

"So . . . as I was saying a while ago," she began. "A report from my trip with those two."

"Okay," Iwaizumi mumbled through his dinner.

"It went good," Kanon told him. "I got everything I needed. Kuroo-kun helped me reach for stuff and lent a hand on carrying my purchases while Kozume-kun showed me that revisiting a game I dreaded for a while ain't so bad after all."

"Uh huh."

"And I got something I'll be using soon!" She smiled but it did not last long. It ebbed away into a modest frown. When she spoke, again, her voice suddenly changed into a sombre tone. "Now . . . onto the hard part."

"Hn?" his eyebrow rose.

"How was your Setsubun?"

Iwaizumi was one third through his dinner. "The family visited the shrine."

"That's nice," she said but her tone was the same. She heaved a sigh then continued, "dad dropped me off before lunch at Senso-ji and I was looking around when I saw Kuroo-kun and Kozume-kun."

"Those two, again?"

"You haven't even met them yet you sound like you don't like them already," Kanon remarked.

"Sorry," he added, "continue."

"We watched the kids then went around to have lunch," she continued. "After that, we stopped by this stone bridge and . . ."

He set his bowl and placed his chopsticks on top uttering a quick thanks. "And?"

"Kuroo-kun asked me about dad," Kanon said, her words were measured. "And mum, too."

His undivided attention was all on her now. "How did you deal with it?"

She sighed, hung her head, and shook it. "Not good."

"Did you answer him at all?" Iwaizumi asked.

"I tried," she muttered. "But I can't. . . . Hajime, I-I froze. . . ."

How he wished he could reach out to her—to put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Seeing her at such state only made him feel helpless and somewhat useless. But, still, he will do what he can to alleviate what she was going through even if they were miles apart. "Kanon."

Slowly, she lifted her head to look at him. "Yes?"

"Was he persistent to know?"

"No," she answered. "He stopped when he saw that I was struggling with the question."

"Good," he said, relieved. "If you're not ready yet, there's no need for you to answer."

She nodded. "Okay."

"It will take some time," Iwaizumi reminded her. "It's a process."

"I know. . . ."

What he thought would be a happy conversation turned into the complete opposite within a matter of minutes. Rather, it felt like he was advising her like a parent would. He needed to change the flow of the conversation. This was surely not the kind of atmosphere he wanted their chat to end on.

"It suits you," he started, hoping it was enough to distract her thoughts and emotions. "Your uniform."

"Oh," an embarrassed smile decorated her lips. "You do realise that it's a sailor outfit?"

"Yeah," Iwaizumi said.

"Reminds you of our days in Kitagawa Daiichi?"

Their years in middle school were significant to them. It was then that they realised their plans for the future ahead. She was their number one supporter during official matches and, in return, they were present whenever it was time for her to compete. But both him and Oikawa graduated a year earlier, leaving her to continue on for another year—the year that started their miscommunication but there will be plenty of other times to discuss that. For now, he was focused on getting back on how they used to be. "But you prefer the Catholic style, don't you?"

"Yeah," she admitted. "But you didn't like the one I wore before, right?"

"'Cause we know Aoba Jousai's would look better on you," without thinking, the words were already out of his mouth.

At first, Kanon could only blink back at his reply, but he could see her bitterly smiling. "Thought you'd say that."

"I mean," Iwaizumi added quickly. What was he thinking? Well, he wasn't really but he needed to say something else to support his claim, "with your new hair colour, it would look good on you."

"Really now?" Kanon gave him a doubtful look. "I mean, you could just be honest and tell me exactly what—"

"It's not like that," he cut in rather forcefully.

"Hajime," she said, shocked.

"I'm sorry, I—"

The rest of his apology was drowned by her laughter. She was laughing so hard she ended up hugging her stomach and tears were visible from the corners of her eyes.

"So sorry," she wheezed. "I was just kidding. I believe you."

"Tch," he could feel his cheeks burn in embarrassment. "Not funny."

"I couldn't help it," Kanon said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "You're so uptight sometimes."

His eyes softened as she tried to compose herself. At least he managed to turn things around; that was important.

"I'm still getting used to it though," he said once she was properly sitting back in her chair. "I'm used to seeing you with darker hair."

She ran her fingers through her hair. "But it looks okay, right?"

"Yeah," he agreed. "It goes with your uniform and . . . your eyes. . . . Another thing I have to get used to."

"I can't do anything with my hair in a moment's notice but . . ." Kanon grabbed a two-sided mirror, hiding her face behind it for a bit. When she moved it away, she placed something small in the plastic case in front of her. She then stared back at him. "How about now?"

"There's the Kanon I know," Iwaizumi said, smiling. He could not remember the last time he saw her natural eyes like that.

"Hajime," she began, smiling back at him. "Thank you . . . for listening."

"Anytime."

"I'm really glad we're talking again . . ." she said, lowering her lids. "I really missed this, you know?"

"Us, too," Iwaizumi added.

Kanon smiled once more. "Well, I better go. I think I just heard dad got home."

"Okay," he reached for his phone.

"Oh, wait," she suddenly said. "I almost forgot. I'll be sending you and Tooru a package next week but I'll send both to your home. Will you give him his when it arrives?"

"Sure," he said. But upon hearing their friend's name, he felt the need to ask, "speaking of him, has he told you anything?"

"Tooru?" Kanon frowned. "Nope. Why?"

"It's nothing, don't worry," Iwaizumi assured her as he thought of ways of assaulting Oikawa tomorrow while reminding him of their previous talk. How long does he need to tell Kanon that he's taken?

"I still have to make dinner so I better go," she said, waving. "Goodnight, Hajime."

"Goodnight, Kanon," he replied.

She hung up. He stood and took his emptied bowl to the sink. When he returned, he grabbed his phone, laid on the bed and stared up at the ceiling.

To hear her talk without inhibition, confide what troubled her, and even poke fun at him, only told Iwaizumi that she was starting to ease back to normalcy. He could almost see the Kanon he met way back in elementary and grew up with until middle school. Soon, if she chose to, she might finally tell them exactly what happened to those quiet seven months before their sudden reunion. But for now, all he could do for her was to be patient and understanding.

Their after school practice sessions kept Iwaizumi busy for the days that followed. When he got home a week after his conversation with Kanon, it took him by surprise when he heard his mother tell him a package came for him from Tokyo.

"Where is it?" he said, looking in the living room.

"It's in the fridge," Mrs. Iwaizumi informed as she prepared the dinner for the family. "The mailman advised me to keep it somewhere cold so I thought of putting it there just to be safe."

Iwaizumi went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator to find a small box with his name and address written on it. He snatched it and decided to open it in the confines of his room away from his family's prying eyes. A note lay on top of the contents as he put away the box cutter:

 _Hajime,_

 _I'm sending you these because I thought it would be better just to send it to one address. Well, to be honest, I just got lazy. You know me. Besides, I know your address better than Tooru's. Anyway, I hope they turned out okay. Both in taste and in appearance. I made sure to send it the day before so I could be the first! Just like before. You better tell Tooru that, okay? Enjoy!_

 _Hugs,_

 _Kanon_

Inside were two clear rectangular boxes. The lids were adorned with a net pattern. Through it, he saw an orange tray that held six chocolates in the shape of small volleyballs. Cards were attached on top of the boxes. He smiled when he saw his name on one of the cards together with the greeting in Kanon's neat handwriting.

He took his phone out to send her a quick message, thanking her for the chocolates. Her reply came instantly.

 _ **Ishigami Kanon: I'm glad they came on time.**_

Iwaizumi placed the boxes on his desk. He sat on the edge of his bed at first but reclined back as he started thinking of Kanon. The amount of effort she poured into making their gifts was something else. Perhaps having that innate creativity made it easy for her. He sighed; how was he supposed to reciprocate to something personally made like that? And with only a month to find the ideal gift to send back to her.

It was proving to be difficult but he should start somewhere. He stood up and pulled a few photo albums from his bookshelf. There must be something there that could help, something to remind him of what other things she liked during their younger years.

* * *

Note: this chapter is dedicated to Aoki Kiyomi, knewtoomuch, sikilama1, and xSuccubusQueen.

Liltorgy, knowing that someone follows/favourite this is enough for me to continue. So thank you for following and for your lovely review.

The ten days turned into two weeks. My sincere apologies for that. I took the extra week to edit and add stuff in previous chapters. Warframe interfered as well. Also, it will be a bi-weekly update until I am satisfied with the flow. It's Golden Week here so that should help, too.

And thank you all for reading!


	9. You've Been Flirting Again

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue. © Furudate Haruichi & Shueisha Publishing Co., Ltd.

* * *

Chapter Nine: You've Been Flirting Again

 _"Give her some time, give her some space_

 _How she reacted was right"_

#

"Kuroo-senpai!" said a voice once Kuroo and Kenma made it to the gates of Nekoma.

Kuroo looked ahead and saw a girl timidly approaching him. He recognised her as one of Fukunaga's classmates. She stopped in front of him, her hands behind her. Bowing, she immediately shoved a box in front of him. It was blue with a pink ribbon.

"Happy Va-Valent-tine's Day," she said, trying to hide her embarrassment. "T-this is for y-you."

He grinned as he plucked the box from the girl's hands. "Thank you."

"Y-you're welcome," she replied, bowing once more before running off to join her classmates who were waiting by the entrance of the building.

"So . . . it's today," Kuroo said, looking at the note attached to the box. "Should have brought an extra bag."

There were five more boxes waiting for Kuroo by the time they got to the shoe locker. All in pastel coloured wrappings with matching ribbons. To be admired this much felt nice but the problem he was most concerned with was how to consume it all.

"You can always give some to Yamamoto," Kenma suggested as if reading his mind.

"Right," he said, nodding. "Good thinking."

"Good morning, you two," said Kanon's voice from behind them.

They turned to see her with a lopsided smile, a slight tilt of her head to the left and a hand on her hip.

"Good morning," Kenma greeted back.

"You don't happen to have an extra paper bag or something?" Kuroo asked, taking the boxes out of his shoe locker.

"As a matter of fact, I do," she said, rummaging through her bag and taking out a neatly folded tote bag. "Here."

He took the bag and started piling the contents of his locker into it. "I'll give it back tomorrow."

"No problem," Kanon replied, making a quick peek at his gifts. "That's a lot of chocolates. Do you get that many every year?"

"Unfortunately."

"You make it sound like it's a bad thing," she said. "Don't you like getting them?"

"I don't mind," Kuroo said, placing the chocolate he got from Fukunaga's classmate on top of the heap. "They're all store bought though."

"How can you tell?"

"The wrappings are a dead giveaway," he explained. "Look at the uniformity of them all; from wrappings to ribbons. The only difference would be the kind of chocolates inside. Some are expensive and some are okay."

"And you prefer the expensive ones?"

"Nope."

"The okay ones then?"

"Nope," said Kuroo, closing his shoe locker. "Neither; I prefer handmade ones."

Kanon smirked at him. "I never thought you'd be the sentimental type."

"He is despite his appearance," Kenma added.

"What's this?" Kuroo said, raising an eyebrow. "Making me look bad in front of her?"

Kenma shrugged. "Was just telling the truth."

"What made them so special for you?" Kanon asked.

"Living in a fast-paced city like Tokyo," he began as they walked on, "most people would opt for convenience so it's hard to come by stuff that were made just for you."

Kanon hummed as an amused smile came on her lips. "Even if they ended up tasting terrible?"

"It's the effort that makes them special," he finished.

"Then what do you think of this," Kanon said as they made it to the second floor. Her hand was inside her bag. She pulled out a brown paper package and handed it to Kuroo.

At first glance, it wasn't much to look at but on closer inspection, he saw that there were tiny prints on it. They were volleyballs and cats which were doodled right onto the paper. The drawings weren't detailed but they carried a certain charm. In short, Kuroo found it cute that he couldn't help and produce a small smile. The package was bonded by a thick red ribbon and next to it was a card.

"And who is this for?" he slowly said, thumb ready to flip the card, expecting to see his name.

"Why don't you find out for yourself?" she offered.

Kuroo flipped the card and automatically frowned but, feeling Kanon's eyes on him, he managed to quickly put on an indifferent expression. He extended his arm towards Kenma. With a teasing tone and a knowing grin, he said, "it's for you."

Kenma blinked, gingerly receiving the package from him. He stared at the drawings then at the card for a bit. He turned to Kanon, a hint of pink on his cheeks. "T-thank you, Ishigami."

"You're welcome, Kozume-kun," she said back with a smile.

"Where's mine?" Kuroo wasn't sure where it came from but he thought he could get away with it as a joke.

"With that much," Kanon pointed towards the tote bag, "I don't think you'll be getting any from me."

"It was a joke—" the bell rang to signal the start of classes.

"We'll see you later then, Kuroo-kun," she said as the pair of them hurried away to their classroom.

He sighed at their retreating back and proceeded to his classroom. For a minute there, he felt somewhat disappointed. He wouldn't be if he wasn't expecting from the beginning. But how can he not? She gave them key chains during their little adventure. He and Kenma so, perhaps, he was hoping he would get one from her, too.

 _'I wonder . . .'_ he thought, discreetly pulling his phone out to message Kenma:

 _ **Have you opened it yet?**_

He eyed his teacher as he waited for Kenma's answer.

 _ **Kozume Kenma: No. Why?**_

He needed to confirm something.

 _ **Do you think the content's handmade as well?**_

It took Kenma a few good seconds to reply.

 _ **Kozume Kenma: Most likely. She did buy something from that confectionary store when we were in Kappabashi.**_

Now that he thought about it, she did say something about January ending while she stared at the store's window. She was already thinking of Valentine's Days even though it was weeks away.

Lunch break came and some of his female classmates approached him to hand over their gifts. They were exactly like the ones he got from his locker that morning. He thanked them and tipped the boxes into the tote bag. As he took his bento out, he felt his phone buzz.

 _ **Kozume Kenma: It's handmade.**_

Another message came; it was a picture. Kenma took a snapshot of the contents of his gift. On the tray lay six small chocolates. They alternated between cats and volleyballs just like the doodles on the wrapping. Another wave of disappointment washed over him but he was able to thumbed in a reply.

 _ **Can you jokingly ask her if there's really none for me?**_

He placed his phone on the desk, grabbed his bento, and started shoving down food. His phone gave another buzz but he chose to finish his lunch before looking at the message.

 _ **Kozume Kenma: Can't. She went out carrying a brown paper package.**_

At the same time, one of his male classmates called for him by their classroom door. "Someone's here to give you chocolates."

Kuroo raised an eyebrow. Was there a possibility that Kanon lied to him this morning only to give him his gift during lunch? He stood—calming himself for good measure—before going through their classroom door.

But it wasn't her.

Standing on the hallway was one of his female senpai. She was stunning that almost every student was mesmerised by her presence alone. But, somehow, Kuroo was one of the few who was not hung up on her beauty.

"Kuroo," she called, tucking strands of hair behind her ear. A move she often did whenever she was facing him. On her other hand, she was clutching a box which was not pastel coloured. The wrapping was just as gorgeous as her with the ribbon intricately done. "This is for you."

"Thank you," he said politely as he accepted her gift.

"It's really good," she added. "I got them from that newly opened department store in Ginza."

"You shouldn't have," Kuroo said, knowing that she got him the expensive kind. She was relatively rich so it wasn't exactly an unprecedented decision from her.

"Don't say that," she stepped forward, placing her hands over his. "You know I would only give you the best."

And here she was doing what she did best: openly flirt with him. It was no secret that she liked him. Every now and then she would find ways to get his attention. Not just his attention but she seemed to love it whenever people were around to witness her flirting with him. And that was precisely what made Kuroo reject any thought of entertaining her advances.

"I'm very flattered, senpai," he said. "I'll savour every bite then."

"You should," she said, slowly letting go of his hand. "Well, I'll see you around then."

Once back in his seat, he unceremoniously added the new box inside the tote bag. Sighing, he checked his phone again to look at the picture Kenma had sent him. Who else was Kanon hanging out with beside him and Kenma?

For the last two periods, Kuroo cannot help and wonder who the lucky person was to receive her handmade chocolates. Was it someone he knew? Was it someone from her year or a fellow second year? Or a third year that she secretly admired?

"How many did you got?" Kanon asked him when he got to their classroom at the end of classes.

"I lost count," Kuroo answered. Feeling the need to redirect his frustration, he offered, "would you like to count them for me?"

"Hell no," she said, eyeing the tote bag nonetheless.

Ever since they got introduced to each other, Kanon joined them on their way out of the school building. If there was no practice, the three of them took the train together on their way home.

"Well then," Kanon started upon reaching the building entrance. She took a few steps ahead of them, turned around, and whipped something out of her bag. It was a package identical to Kenma's. "Here you go."

Kuroo blinked. He could feel his mouth wanting to part in shock but he thankfully kept it shut tight. "I thought you weren't giving me any."

"I was obviously kiddin'," she said, smiling.

He took the package and read the card. It really was for him. "Thanks. . . ."

"Don't thank me though," Kanon added. "Thank Kozume-kun instead."

"Huh?" he said. "Why is that?"

"Because she chickened out," said Kenma. "Twice."

"Hey!" Kanon protested. "Can you phrase that better?"

Kuroo laughed. "No one is safe from Kenma's remarks."

"I hesitated," she said, crossing her arms. "I don't wanna hand it over to you when you were busy extricating a lot from your locker."

"Oya, oya," he mused, raising an eyebrow. "And I thought you were the confident type."

"Even I have insecurities of my own."

"She did try, again, during lunch," Kenma said. "But failed."

"It's only because I didn't want to interrupt anything," she said, her cheeks colouring.

"What are you talking about?" Kuroo asked.

She placed her hands on her hips. "Uhm, you were holding hands with a really pretty girl on the hallway."

He laughed louder than before. When he stopped to catch his breath, he continued, "you were not interrupting anything at all. I can assure you that."

"What do you mean?" she questioned.

"Senpai is head over heels in love with Kuro," Kenma said casually.

"And she doesn't mind showing the whole world," Kuroo added. "But I have no plans on giving in."

"Is that so?" Kanon slowly said. She uncrossed her arms and gave a good giggle at the thought. "But . . . I guess this is fine as well."

"Hn?" Kuroo frowned.

"I get to see your sad reaction even just for a tiny bit," she said. "Consider it as payback for last time."

"Payback?"

But his question remained unanswered as she turned on the spot and started walking away. She gave them a quick wave without looking back at them.

"What does she mean by that?" Kuroo couldn't help and ask his friend.

"Senso-ji," Kenma replied. "Have you ever apologised since then?"

His eyes widened at the realisation. Thinking back to that day, he was never able to say how sorry he was for bringing up the topic. All that was running through his mind was to reassure her that she did not have to answer. He was certain that she would respond better to action thus the comforting hand on her head. It was, to Kuroo, something safe to do to console any female friend.

"Crap," he said, rushing forward to catch up with her. "Ishigami!"

She stopped then turned quickly around. "I think that's the first time I've heard you mention my name."

"About last time," he began. "Back at Senso-ji."

Kanon looked at him cautiously. "What about it?"

He saw her hands clenched up. "I'm sorry."

"Oh," she said, her hand slightly unclenching.

"I didn't mean to ask you something you didn't want to answer."

"It's not that I didn't want to answer," Kanon corrected him. "Look, Kuroo-kun. . . . I will answer you but I don't think I can right now."

For some reason, she couldn't look at him—she was gazing at the setting sun. But he kept his eyes on her face. "I get it, don't worry."

"There's still some stuff I need to sort out," she said, slowly turning to look at him. "So . . . is it okay if I ask you to give me some time?"

"Sure," Kuroo said, smiling. "I mean, it's the least I could do for the girl who gave me chocolates I prefer."

Kanon beamed at him and it wasn't like the smiles she often gave him. It conveyed more than happiness; he could see relief and gratitude within her eyes. "Thank you, Kuroo-kun."

She waved and, once more, turned to head for the gates. Kuroo watched until she disappeared by the corner.

"You should stop teasing me about her being my girlfriend," Kenma said, stopping beside him.

"Why is that?"

"That looked like a confession," he said, taking a step forward, making his way for the club changing room. "Maybe you should consider making her your girlfriend since you're more curious about her."

"Nah," Kuroo said, unzipping his bag. He was not going to lump Kanon's gift with the rest of the chocolates he got. "Besides you two look better together."

"What a lame excuse."

"Were you jealous?"

"Nope."

As he slipped the box inside his bag, Kenma's opinion got him thinking. When was the last time he dated? He couldn't even remember the last girl he was with. It was back in middle school, for sure, but they didn't last long. He estimated of dating around three girls back then. Getting into relationships was purely out of curiosity for him. When he got into high school, he was so caught up with club activities that there was simply no time for it even if confessions sprung up every now and then.

Yamamoto was making a ruckus when they opened the club room door, ranting away about not receiving any chocolates. Kuroo handed him the tote bag to shut him up and told him to take as much as he wanted. He placed his bag down and opened it to retrieve his gym clothes, his eyes resting on the box Kanon gave. Looking at the pattern she had drawn on the package, he allowed himself to wonder on Kenma's words.

"Why are you smiling?" Yaku asked from beside him. "Are you scheming?"

"Nope," Kuroo shook his head in response but his smile lingered on. "I was just thinking."

"Can you stop?" said Yaku, pulling on his shirt. "It's creeping me out."

"What can I say?" he zipped his bag close. "It's a pretty good thought."

* * *

Note: this chapter is dedicated to les printemps, unknownher, Aishh, Erynfae, and chloe . bennie . 116.

Guest, I'm glad you found her that way. Thank you! For now, it isn't my duty to tell you who she is. The guys will do that for me.

I did say bi-weekly but I guess things went in my favour sooner than I thought. But there's still a chance I might consider it. I've been writing this as a warm up before redoing my older fics.

And thank you all for reading!


	10. You Can't Say No Forever

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue. © Furudate Haruichi & Shueisha Publishing Co., Ltd.

* * *

Chapter Ten: You Can't Say No Forever

 _"Now, if I was your girlfriend I would tell you all of this_

 _But since we're not together I'm not saying anything at all"_

#

Oikawa sat on one of the empty benches by the park. She said she wanted to meet up so they could talk. Most men in relationships would cower at the very word but he wasn't one to. On the contrary, he embraced the notion. For all he knew, this could be it—this talk was his ticket out of their relationship. And if everything went well, like he planned from the start, there was no need for him to tell Kanon anymore. Even better, Iwaizumi would finally stop violently pestering him about it.

In fact, he felt like going one step further by calling his friend to rejoice in what was to happen. So he took his phone out, ran his fingers through his brown locks, and administered the call.

"Yes, Tooru?" Kanon answered after two rings.

"Ishi-chan!" Oikawa said, smiling even though she won't be able to see it. "What are you up to?"

"Grocery shopping."

"Should I call back?" he offered.

"No, it's okay," she assured him. "I was listening when you called so this call's hands-free."

He checked his watch. She was late, as always, but he didn't mind. He was rather thankful that she was. She could take all the time she needed. Putting all thoughts of her aside, he returned his attention on Kanon.

"The chocolates you sent," Oikawa started, leaning back on the bench. "They were perfect. Thanks again for those."

"Really glad you liked them," Kanon said. "Yours were the most difficult to make, you know."

"How come?"

"Yours were sweeter than the rest," she explained. "Had to make sure that you can really taste the milk I used to make those."

"You really did that for me?"

"Yes," she said. "And I regret it."

He gasped rather dramatically. "You don't mean that, right?"

She giggled from the other end. "Of course, I don't."

"Still though, you only made some for me and Iwa-chan so it wasn't like it took too much of your time."

There was a pause in which he heard the usual announcement of produce on sale. "Uhm, no. . . . I made chocolates for two more people."

"Eh?" he said, peeling his back from the bench. His eyebrows furrowing from his speculations. "No. . . . The Nekoma captain and setter?"

"Yup," she said. "And they have names."

"But, why?"

"Because they're my friends, too?"

He frowned then shook his head. "But it's only been a month since you got there. They don't deserve Ishi-chan's special Valentine's Day chocolates!"

"Approaching two months, actually," she corrected him. "And, Tooru, you get chocolates from girls you don't personally know so don't complain."

"Fans are different."

"Oh . . . don't justify it like that," Kanon argued.

"Fine." He pouted. Speaking of his fans, he spotted some of them waving from afar. He waved back out of common courtesy. When they made to move towards him he held up his free hand then pointed at the phone pressed against his ear. They nodded and continued on their way.

"Just realised it's Monday today," said Kanon. "Day off from practice, right?"

"Yup."

"You're not with Hajime?"

"Nope, not today."

She merely hummed back at his reply. "By the way, Tooru, is there something you want to tell me?"

Oikawa's eyes widened as he gulped. Perhaps Iwaizumi got impatient that he ended up telling Kanon himself. But he agreed to his condition. Surely he wouldn't dare break it, would he? And besides, he was minutes away from being single again. This cannot be happening.

"What made you say that?" he said calmly, sitting straight. He needed to know if she knew anything about his relationship but he verged on with care.

"Just remembered," Kanon replied. "I called Hajime a week before Valentine's Day and he asked me if you already told me . . . which you haven't so . . . what did he mean by that?"

"Ah! That!" Oikawa exclaimed out of joy and relief; Iwaizumi had only asked. But now, he also hoped that his reaction sounded more like he actually remembered something other than feeling elated. Thankfully, his current situation gave him an idea. "I was just wondering if Ishi-chan's still single?"

His question worked for he heard her squeal and what sounded like something suddenly came in contact with the floor.

"T-Tooru!" she squeaked. "You made me drop the packaged pasta."

"Sorry," he said. "Did it break?"

"Thank goodness it didn't."

"So . . . are you?"

Kanon took a deep breath then sighed. "And where did that come from?"

Oikawa looked up at the sky and blinked a few. "Well . . . now that I think about it, you were single throughout middle school."

"And who's fault do you think it was for my non-existing relationship for years?"

"Us?" he said uncertainly.

"Uh huh," she said. He could imagine her nodding as well. "With the two of you constantly by my side, no one in their right minds would ask me out."

"Why is that?" Oikawa knew why but he wanted to hear her explain anyway.

"Who would want to approach the girl whose best friends were the prettiest boy in school and the ace with the meanest spike?"

He laughed at her answer and remembered how it normally went whenever they caught someone staring at her for far too long. They would stare back; Oikawa with his cold, demeaning gaze and Iwaizumi with his usual scowl. They needn't say a word at all. It was a habit they picked up during their elementary years stemming from how the other kids often teased Kanon.

"We can't help it," he said.

"It's also the reason why I don't have any female friends during middle school."

"Yes, you did," Oikawa tried to correct her. He could recall seeing her in the hallway or during lunch chatting with her female classmates.

"They only talked to me because of you and Iwaizumi," she explained. "You two were my only friends there."

Oikawa smiled sadly. He wasn't sure if he should be happy or sad upon knowing how limited her friends were to just the two of them. "But we weren't by your side for a year."

"True but you still came to fetch me."

"Oh . . . right."

"Tooru," she called in a reassuring voice. "It's okay. I don't mind being on my own like that. I don't mind having only the two of you as my friends back then."

He could feel an honest smile on his face now. As far as he could remember, Kanon's strongest trait was her independence. A result, possibly, from the way she was brought up. She was also decisive. She was not one to beat around the bush which made things easier for the three of them in terms of communication. But her absolute resolves paved way to a rather unfeeling personality of hers. Something neither of them would want to encounter ever again.

Oikawa shook the thoughts away. He needed to get the conversation back on track. Quickly retracing their words, he thought of something that might help him. Something he personally forgot to confirm with Kanon before she left for Tokyo.

"Ne, Ishi-chan," he started, glancing at his watch. "Just because no one confessed to you doesn't mean you didn't like someone, right?"

"That's rather rude!" she said, scandalised but followed it with a short giggle. "Hajime told you?"

"Uh huh," he said. "So unfair of you to tell him and not me!"

Iwaizumi told him on the day Kanon graduated from middle school. They were on their way home from practice. Not once did it occur to Oikawa that one of his best friends liked someone. Kanon never told nor show any hint of it to them.

"At the very least, tell me who he was," Oikawa whined into the mouth piece. "Give me a name so I could look him up."

"I'm sorry but there's no need to know," Kanon said, amused. "I gave up on him right after leaving Kitagawa Daiichi."

"Still, I want to know!" he persisted, his legs simultaneously swinging in anticipation. "Was he someone I know?"

"Maybe."

"Is he good-looking?"

Kanon paused for a bit. He heard someone from her end offering her some food samples. Knowing her, he was certain she stopped to take a few.

"Well," she started, chewing. "It's a bonus that he's not bad looking."

"Did you tell him you like him?"

"Nope."

"You should have told him," Oikawa suggested, nodding. "Ishi-chan's pretty and talented. I'm confident that you stood a chance!"

"What if he rejected me?"

"Then we'll beat him up for you."

Kanon laughed but stopped just as quickly. She uttered an apology at someone near her. "Thanks to you, I startled someone by the frozen goods section."

Oikawa chortled. He could imagine the whole thing in his head. "But, just so you know, we'll still roast him if he ended up liking you back."

"That would never happen," Kanon added in a somewhat resigned tone. "I've accepted the fact that he would never look at me the same way I look at him."

"Then we'll definitely beat him up."

"Tooru. . . ." she said softly.

He chuckled a bit but then he knew he was approaching something he was a little hesitant on knowing. The months they were apart was still a mystery to both him and Iwaizumi. It was something they weren't able to tackle on at how fast things happened when they were with her. One moment, they were silently comforting her in a corner of her apartment and the next thing they knew she was moving to Tokyo. But, today, Oikawa felt like it could be the right time to slowly find out the months that followed since her departure from Kitagawa Daiichi.

"What about high school then?" he asked.

"Hn?"

"When you were in—"

"None," she cut him off. "I was too focused on winning to entertain any."

"Oh."

"Hold on a bit, Tooru," Kanon said. "Time for me to pay up."

He nodded back and quietly listened to the beeping sound as her purchases got scanned on the cashier counter. Something told him that she answered him swiftly on purpose. Maybe she's not ready to talk about it? Or perhaps she was thinking of him as well. After all, Kanon knew how he viewed her former school. Words weren't enough to describe his feelings towards it.

Oikawa heard Kanon thanked the cashier. The plastic bags rustled when she lifted them up. Her footsteps were audible until she stopped briefly for the doors to slide automatically open for her.

"Do you need to get on something to get home?" he asked.

"Nope," she answered. "My apartment's just a block away."

"Good," he said, looking around at the park. Still no sign of her. "Then . . . what about your new school?"

"Like you said before," she began, "I've only been here for almost two months. I don't think I will be able to like someone that fast."

A clear reassurance from her. He smiled. "I guess there's really nothing to worry about with you hanging out with those two."

"I told you they have names," she repeated. "Kozume-kun and Kuroo-kun. Will you kindly remember that?"

"Can you make female friends for a change?" Oikawa suggested, sounding hopeful and completely ignoring her new friends' names.

"It's no use," Kanon said, laughing. "Girls here are just as mean. Scratch that—meaner in fact."

He wanted to find out how mean city girls could get but his eyes caught someone familiar from across the park. She finally made it. As she was scanning the park for him, he flung his free hand upward and waved, beckoning for her to join him on the bench.

"Ishi-chan," Oikawa said. "I have to go now, okay?"

"Okay."

"But before that, can you promise me one thing?" he said, keeping his eye on his approaching girlfriend. "If you did like someone, tell me at once, okay?"

"And why should I do that?"

""Cause I don't want to be the last one to know."

Kanon sighed. "All right."

Oikawa smiled. "Later then, Ishi-chan."

He hung up just as his girlfriend stopped in front of him. Judging from her newly curled hair and reapplied makeup, she took the time to freshen up before getting there. Was it necessary when they were just going to call the whole thing off? Was it an attempt to show him what he will be losing eventually? Not that Oikawa minded but he appreciated the effort she threw on for him for the last time.

"Sorry, I'm late," she said indifferently. She was staring at his phone still in his hand. "Who were you talking to?"

"Iwa-chan," he lied, smiling. "We were talking about tomorrow's practice."

Oikawa looked at her for the tiniest bit of reaction. Anything that would make her think that his thoughts were still on volleyball—the very root of their potential breakup. He was prepared to stop her and leave the minute she decided to snap on him right then and there. But she closed her eyes and inhaled sharply instead. When she opened them again, she only smiled back at him.

"Can I sit next to you?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Of course," Oikawa said, nodding.

"Tooru-kun," she started. "I know things hasn't been easy between us lately."

"Yeah," he can only agree.

"I've noticed that you're more diligent about your practice sessions," she continued, her voice evidently upset, "which meant less time for us to be together."

As if to comfort her, Oikawa took her hands into his and offered her words to help her get through with it once and for all. "I'm sorry about that but you should know that if it's getting too much for you to deal with, I'll understand."

She squeezed his hands in return then shook her head. "No, it's okay. . . . I get it now."

"Eh?" he whispered.

"I should have known better that being a captain of a team is not an easy position to handle," she said. "So, what I'm trying to say is . . . I'm truly sorry for being selfish and self-centred."

"Oh," he was not expecting this.

"I promise you that I'll be more understanding from now on, okay?"

"O-okay."

"I'm glad that's out of the way," she trilled, standing up and pulling him along. "Let's go check this adorable cafe I saw on my way here and take lots of pictures to celebrate!"

Oikawa was able to nod before being completely dragged out of the park. He sighed as he walked hand in hand with her down the street. So much for his celebratory call with Kanon. He looked up once more at the sky; he was back to square one. From what he was able to gather from their phone call, Kanon was still processing some stuff. And he wouldn't want to give her another thing to think about especially when it was not that important to begin with.

"Not now . . ." he said quietly.

"You said something?" his girlfriend asked, stopping to look at him.

"Nope." He shook his head. "Are we near?"

She nodded and resumed to pull him in the direction of the cafe. There was nothing left for him to do but enjoy his girlfriend's company over coffee and pastries. He was thankful for the drama that did not happen but telling Kanon about his girlfriend would certainly have to take a backseat for now . . . which also meant that Iwaizumi's rather hostile way of reminding him will continue on. If she avoided talking about her former school out of consideration for his feelings then he was prepared to endure longer for her sake. But a part of him still hoped that he doesn't have to tell her anything at all.

* * *

Note: this chapter is dedicated to BarleyRice, FlammableBatman978, Haruhi330, Tsukiyomi-Hio, A Dark Lullaby, MethodicChaos, and Ryuuko Kimura.

You Can't Say No Forever by Lacrosse

There's one more chapter after this before the cast expands. Really looking forward to working on it. Quick question: Tendou or Ushijima? I'm rather distracted with thoughts of making new fics using either of them. You can throw in Kyoutani as well the only difference is that I won't be pairing Kyoutani with an OC.

Thank you all for reading!


	11. Scatterheart

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue. © Furudate Haruichi & Shueisha Publishing Co., Ltd.

* * *

Chapter Eleven: Scatterheart

 _"You are gonna have to find out for yourself_

 _My dearest scatterheart"_

#

The bell finally rang for lunch. Kanon stood up along with most of their classmates but instead of leaving for the cafeteria, she dragged her table next to Kenma's. She placed her seat closer to his as well. When she was satisfied with the arrangement, she pulled her phone out as she eased back into her chair.

"Sent," she said, laying her phone on her table. "I asked Kuroo-kun to join us for lunch today."

"Not going to the cafeteria today?" Kenma asked, taking his bento out from his bag.

"Nope."

A few minutes later, Kuroo casually strolled inside their classroom receiving looks of wonderment from their classmates. He went over to where they sat. Seeing that the owner of the seat in front of them left for the cafeteria, he effortlessly grabbed and turned the chair to face them before sitting down.

"You sure caught their attention," Kanon commented, smirking at Kuroo.

"I'm the captain for a reason," Kuroo replied, placing his bento on Kenma's table.

She arched an eyebrow. "Is being proud something a captain should have?"

"It's a must," he said, grinning back at her. "Where else would my teammates get the morale they need before and during matches, right Kenma?"

"You were called here for lunch," Kenma said, undoing the wrapping on his bento.

Kanon giggled. "Blocked by your own setter."

"His speeches doesn't even make sense," Kenma added.

"And the block just turned into a blash."

"I didn't come here to get bullied by two first years," Kuroo stated, clearly amused by their teamwork. "Is blocking your favourite volleyball move though?"

"Nope," she said, grabbing her bag and placing it on her lap. "I like overkill the best."

Kuroo grinned and raised an eyebrow. "Do you even know what that is?"

"When one team sends a chance ball thinking that the opposing team would simply receive it," she gestured with her arms, "and set it up for a toss," she then mimicked the position, fingers poised properly above her head, "only for it to be smashed back," she dropped her left arm and swung her right arm downward as if hitting an actual volleyball. "That's pretty brilliant to me."

"All you need now is a court and a net," Kuroo said, smirking at her quick demonstration. "You should drop by during practice some time. I'll introduce you to the team."

"Sounds good to me," she said, pulling out not one but three bento boxes from her bag. Two were medium size while the other one was smaller. All three were wrapped in floral printed cloths. "Anyway, I hope you guys are hungry."

"Are we celebrating something?" Kuroo asked, blinking at the boxes as Kanon undid their knots.

"Nope," she answered. "I just happen to wake up earlier than usual. The fridge was stocked so I decided to make lots for today."

Kanon took the lids off from the bento boxes; she wasn't kidding when she said she made a lot. There were fried shrimp, grilled salmon and croquettes in one of the boxes while the other contained tamagoyaki with the usual vegetables such as broccoli, green beans and . . .

"Bitter melon?" Kenma said, narrowing his eyes.

"You don't like them, do you?" Kanon said, picking one up with her chopsticks and popping it in her mouth. She followed it with a bit of rice from the smaller bento box in her left hand. She chewed on happily then swallowed. "They're my favourite!"

"And you criticise me for liking grilled mackerel?" Kuroo remarked, eyeing said vegetable as well. "Unless you're from Okinawa I'd understand."

"You don't have to be from there to like them," she said defensively. "Well, please, have some. I won't be able to finish these all by myself."

Kenma wasn't sure why Kanon suddenly got intrigued about their meals when both the lids from his bento and Kuroo's came off. As far as he could tell there was no point in looking. His and Kuroo's boxes were filled with the usual balanced serving that were enough to sustain them throughout the day. Sometimes, he would get tamagoyaki as well. But his mother never included bitter melon in his bento box.

Kuroo's chopsticks dove for one of the croquettes, hurriedly biting on it. "Kenma, you have to try this."

He nodded at Kuroo's suggestion. When he was done savouring his first bite, he said, "it's good."

Kanon beamed as she moved the boxes closer to them. "Take as much as you like while I sample some of yours in exchange."

She quickly took one of Kuroo's octopus shaped hotdogs. Kuroo laughed off the matter when he saw how she smiled from it. "What's with the face? It's just hotdog."

"It's been a while since I've had one," she admitted, going for one of Kenma's karaage next. "This, too."

They continued in silence with Kuroo sampling every single one even the bitter melon. Kenma, having found that her cooking was good, followed suit but chose not to go as far as Kuroo. In exchange, Kuroo let her have most of the stuff in his bento box.

"Why are you so keen in our lunch?" Kenma couldn't help but ask.

"Nothing beats a mother's cooking, you know," Kanon said, munching on the last piece of karaage from his bento. He glimpsed at her to see if there was any change in her demeanour but she was already smiling at him. Was she able to sense that he was concerned somehow? "By the way, Kozume-kun, what's your favourite food?"

He was confident she threw the question to quickly change the subject. Going with the flow, Kenma would have answered her promptly if it wasn't for the good helping of rice he was chewing on after biting on his fried shrimp. Thankfully, Kuroo was there to assist him.

"You guys play online together, right?" Kuroo asked Kanon back.

"Yup."

"Then you should know his favourite food."

Kanon tilted her head then blinked. "Ah! Apple pie!"

"You should see how many slices he can eat whenever obasan makes them," he said.

"Eh . . ." Kanon mused, looking at Kenma, a glint of amazement in her eyes. "I wanna see that . . . makes me wanna bake again."

"You bake as well, huh," Kuroo said. "Your future boyfriend's so lucky."

She laughed. "What's up with guys and relationships."

"Hn?"

"Nevermind." Kanon shook her head. "Why don't you guess my username instead?"

"It has got to be bitter melon," answered Kuroo immediately.

Kanon smiled as she placed back the lid on the smaller bento box. "Nice try but no."

"It's Pachelbel K," said Kenma.

"First, you're a goddess and now you're a composer," Kuroo commented. "Is there anything else we should know about you?"

Kanon laughed off his words then smiled wryly. "Nothing important for now."

Kenma did his part and placed the empty boxes back in their cloths. Lunch break would soon be over as some of their classmates made it back to their room. Kuroo stood up and placed the chair accordingly. Kanon dragged back her desk and chair.

"See you later then," Kuroo said, turning on his spot.

"Before you go, can you remind me how one of my popular pieces goes?" Kanon said, placing the boxes back in her bag. "It shouldn't be a problem since it's a pretty easy one, right?"

Kuroo cleared his throat by dramatically coughing into his fist. He stuck out his forefinger and started humming the most familiar part of the piece while moving his finger as if conducting. When he finished, Kanon clapped at his execution.

"Not bad," she said, nodding. "But you could have given it more effort in distinguishing the notes."

"Think you can do a better job than me?" Kuroo challenged.

Kanon stared at Kuroo for a bit. She placed her hand on the table, closed her eyes, and began tapping on her desk with her forefinger. Kenma watched at the steady contact her finger made with the wood. As far as he could tell, the taps she made were all in equal measure.

She took a brief deep breath. "La fa-sol la fa-sol la-la-ti-do-re-mi-fa-sol fa re-mi fa fa-sol la-ti-la-sol-la-fa-sol-la . . . is that good enough?"

"Aren't you full of surprises?"

"I just like to remember stuff," she said, placing her elbows on the desk and cupping her face. "That piece is taught in almost every music class from elementary up to high school. Anyone who paid enough attention should have no problem remembering the notes."

If there was something else Kuroo wanted to ask or tell her, he simply ran out time. The bell rang to signal the end of lunch break. He took his leave as Kenma and Kanon waved at him. The rest of their classmates pouring in from the cafeteria.

Math came on and they did their best to understand the formula written on the board. Kenma, having been taught ahead by Kuroo, idly looked around at his classmates struggling to solve the examples given to them. He last checked up on how Kanon was doing.

On the upper left corner of her notebook, she was busy scribbling down something while her phone lay next to it. Kenma craned his neck a bit and saw her phone displayed a picture of what looked like a pie. When he took another glance at her notes, she was actually writing down ingredients.

"Apple pie?" he read the words written in capital letters on top.

"Hmm?" Kanon said, turning to him. "Yeah . . . I thought I should give baking another go."

"Ishigami," their teacher called. She sat straight and slid the phone underneath her notebook. "If you're talking to your seatmate then that should mean you're done with the exercises?"

"Yes," she answered.

"Then, please, show us how you did it?"

Kenma felt it was his fault that she was suddenly called. He looked at her just as she was about to stand but when she smiled and shook her head at him, he knew that she didn't mind one bit.

As Kanon solved the problem on the board, Kenma looked back at her notes. She was really going to attempt and make an apple pie. She even doodled a picture of it next to the instructions. Before he knew it, he was partially smiling at her notes.

"Good thing I studied that formula last night," Kanon said, sinking back into her seat. "Otherwise I'd be hearing giggles behind me."

"You really are going to try and bake an apple pie?" said Kenma, continuing where they left off.

"Yup."

"Are cooking and baking your hobbies?" he asked.

"Not exactly," she said, staring at her own notes. "Baking was something I did to bond with but cooking was something I had to learn at some point."

"At some point?" he repeated, peering at her as she lowered her gaze.

"Yeah," Kanon replied almost like a whisper. "But now . . . I realised that it's actually a good way to keep my hands busy. . . ."

Slowly, she lifted her hands in front of her, palms facing upward. Her eyes narrowed, fingers gently curled inward as if she was holding onto something. She let out a sigh.

"Ishigami?" Kenma called with caution.

She dropped her hands on her lap, leaned back, and turned to smile at him. "But playing games also keep my hands busy."

Kenma blinked back and slowly nodded when she kept her sight ahead for the remainder of their classes. But as the hours went by and when he bid her goodbye before heading for the changing room, he couldn't shake the thought off. Her answer and action were trying to hint at something and he was rather determined and curious to find out.

"Kenma," said Kuroo. "Are you going to change or what?"

The black shirt he was supposed to change into was still in his hands. How long was he standing there thinking about Kanon? Kenma looked around the room for a bit. Everybody had left for the gymnasium.

"I was thinking about Ishigami," he said, taking his tie off.

"Oya?" his friend mused. "Are you finally making a move on her?"

"It's not that," he replied, unbuttoning his dress shirt. "Something tells me she knows how to play."

"I told you so—"

"Music." Kenma pulled the shirt over his head.

Kuroo looked at him as if considering his statement then shook his head. "That can't be."

"How would you explain her knowledge on it?" His ears weren't trained for knowing the right pitch for every note but from what he heard from her, nothing told him she was off.

"She said so herself, didn't she?" Kuroo reminded him, making his way for the door. "Good memory."

"That's not enough."

"Then let me ask you this," he said, turning around to properly face him. "Do you see her carry any instrument? Have you seen her visit the music room?"

There was no way for her to visit the music room after classes since they exited the school building together. She never brought any instrument with her as well. So maybe he was wrong but that doesn't make Kuroo right either. "No, but what makes you think she knows how to play volleyball?" Throwing back his own words at him, Kenma added, "you never saw her participate in an actual game."

"True," Kuroo agreed. "But you saw how animated and enthusiastic she got from explaining what an overkill is."

"Still not enough," Kenma repeated.

"I hear you, don't worry." Kuroo reassured him. "It all comes down to the perfect timing. I already gave her an invitation, didn't I?"

With that, Kuroo turned and headed for the gymnasium. Kenma wondered when this perfect timing was as he closed the changing room door behind him.

* * *

Note: There we have it. Sorry it took a while. Binged on an anime recently (two seasons and a movie). Makes me want to use their world and put Haikyuu characters in it. For the next chapter, I guess it's time to add those owls.

This chapter is dedicated to: MeganeAlpaca, SpiritlessSoul, WhispersWithWolves, YumeTune, CRXSSFIRED, HeroineWannabe, iciclefangAJ, and xthedarksunx.

Scatterheart by Bjork

So far, I got two for Tendou and a vote each for Ushijima and Kyoutani. How about you? Which one would you like me to write about next?

Thank you so much for reading! See yah next time!


	12. What's in a Name

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue. © Furudate Haruichi & Shueisha Publishing Co., Ltd.

* * *

Chapter Twelve: What's in a Name

 _"You're like the sweetest, softest autumn I've ever seen_

 _I'm all nostalgic and genuinely weak in the knees"_

* * *

He stood next to one of the pillars in the busy Shinjuku Station. Like every morning, it was packed with people hurrying to get to their destinations. Akaashi sighed and lifted his arm. He pushed back his sleeve to check his watch.

'Late as always,' he told himself.

He dropped his arm to his side and continued to wait by the pillar. His eyes roamed the station for a bit while his mind drifted somewhere else.

March came earlier than he expected. It was the last month of him being a first year student in Fukurodani Academy. Whenever Akaashi thought back to everything that transpired throughout the entire year, he still cannot believe how fortunate he was.

Getting into Fukurodani Academy was one thing but becoming a regular on his first year was another. As a top contender in Tokyo, vouching for a position in the volleyball team was not easy. Not to mention the amount of students who tried out but, miraculously, Akaashi was able to secure a spot.

Playing volleyball was not his first choice in terms of extracurricular activity but it was something he took up because none of his siblings dared pursue it. His decision ended up disappointing his doting aunt but, to reassure her, he promised that from time to time he will recall everything she had taught him over the years.

Akaashi subconsciously started fiddling with his fingers. If it wasn't for his aunt, he would never have met her. It was because of her that he, for the first time, saw how such a graceful form was capable of producing something so powerful and captivating. If he closed his eyes now, he could picture everything as vividly as if it just happened yesterday. He was still waiting so sparing a few minutes to walk down memory lane sounded like a great idea.

"Akaashi!" boomed Bokuto's voice, putting a complete halt on what he was about to do.

He looked up and saw his senpai running towards him, a grin stretched across his face.

"Good morning, Bokuto-san," he greeted with a slight bow. "You're late."

"I know! I know!" he answered, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I was so excited last night that I forgot to set my alarm."

Akaashi sighed. "We should get going."

"Aren't you excited?" Bokuto asked as they headed for their train.

"Not really," he said with a slight shake of his head.

"Don't be like that," his senpai added. "You should be since everyone in the team thought you were perfect for the position."

They went through the turnstiles and waited for the train to arrive. As they stood in line, Akaashi mentally prepared himself for what he was about to formally accept once they arrived in school.

Today, the third years were officially retiring from the volleyball team. Bokuto and Akaashi were agreed upon to take on the positions of captain and vice-captain respectively. Another thing he knew he had to be thankful for but something told him it was not going to be easy holding the position down.

He was staring blankly ahead and agreeing noncommittally to whatever Bokuto was saying when the train slowed down and stopped. They got on and planted themselves away from the doors. Gripping the safety handles, the warning buzz went off and they were on their way.

"Have you downloaded that application I told you about?" Bokuto began, pulling out his phone.

"Not yet," Akaashi replied.

"Everyone in the team is using it," he said, his thumb already scrolling through at what Akaashi assumed was the team's conversation.

"Perhaps I'll—"

The rest of his sentence was drowned by Bokuto's laughter. Those closest to them were quick to shush him from his outburst. Trying his hardest to suppress his mirth, he shoved his phone against Akaashi's face.

Akaashi eyed the conversation without any reaction. Sharing something that someone found funny from the internet was one of the team's favourite conversation topics. He blinked one last time at the screen before shifting his gaze at Bokuto.

"Didn't you find that funny?" Bokuto asked with a grin.

"Not really," he said, shrugging.

"Live a little, Akaashi," his senpai stated, returning his attention towards his phone.

But how can he? There was a lot to be done once he took his new position besides being the official setter for the team. With the departure of the third years, their regular members were reduced to a few until next month when the new school year began. Not only that, but being in the team for a whole year taught him what kind of people he was going to help handle.

Akaashi looked at his carefree senpai who was now busy chatting away in his phone. He felt a sigh left him as he thought of how he had to adapt to the complexities of their captain to be. All those were made possible thanks to their manager and the rest of the team.

The train got less crowded when they stopped at Shimokitazawa Station. The last to get on board was an elderly woman accompanied by a female student. She led the old woman to a seat then stood in front of her. Akaashi assumed she was her granddaughter from how they seemed to converse happily. He smiled at the scene until his eyes landed on the girl's profile. There was something familiar about her face.

Was it the combination of his musings and worries that triggered something inside of him to be seeing things? There was absolutely no way she was in Tokyo. From what he last heard of her from his aunt, she was attending a top school in her hometown to make the best of her abilities.

His eyes didn't leave her face as she took a moment to look at the front of the train to where they were standing. Akaashi's eyes widened and all thoughts about his new position dissolved in an instant.

"It can't be," he whispered to himself.

He then narrowed his eyes, scrutinising every inch of her face. Every part was as he remembered except for her eyes and hair. Those threw him off forcing him to think twice before having any urge of getting closer to her inside the moving train.

Steering his thoughts to something more logical, he recalled an article he once read. According to it, an individual can have at least up to seven look-alikes in the whole world. That must be the only reason why he was looking at the female student with deep interest.

Akaashi heard the intercom telling the passengers they were arriving on the next station but, for some reason, it did not register in his mind. He looked on as the female student kneeled down in front of the old lady. She held her hands as she talked to her, her eyes clearly holding the gaze they shared. And then it happened.

The girl stood slowly from her position and made her way for the exit. As she waited for the train's complete stop, she must have felt his eyes on her which led her to look his way. The moment their eyes connected, Akaashi thought time stopped.

On those fleeting seconds he kept his eyes on her, he hoped even in its smallest measurement that she would recognize him. But she only stared back at him and timidly smiled in return. And when the train finally stopped, she bashfully lowered her eyes and brought her left hand to tuck a few stray strands behind her ear.

An involuntary gasp left him at the sight of the small, white earring dangling from her exposed earlobe. He became rooted to the spot as he was reminded of the first time he ever saw her.

How long has it been since he last laid eyes on her? Was it two or three years from what he could remember but he never expected the change it made on her.

Initially, Akaashi found her appealing to look at but with the tweak she made with her hair and eyes, he couldn't help and admire her more. There was still a sense of innocence from her smile but he noted that there was some kind of solemnity within her gaze.

He knew there was only one way to confirm that it was really her but he suddenly felt his heart drop a little at the thought. How can he forget the most crucial part? How was he able to approach her if he can't even remember her name?

Akaashi looked down at his shoes and closed his eyes as he searched his memories for her name. Desperately, he allowed his mind to travel back to the day his aunt first uttered her name to him. And, as if on cue, the warning buzz came on and he was finally able to recall.

When his eyes returned ahead she was no longer there. He quickly turned his attention on the door and saw her getting off the train. His feet were already moving before he could stop himself.

"Excuse me," Akaashi said, squeezing through between two men in suits.

"Are you getting off?" one asked him, irritated by his pursuit.

"Uh, no," he started, trying to sound apologetic but his eyes were on the slowly closing doors. "But I have to—sorry."

When he got to the door, there were only a few centimetres to spare. Her name was practically trying to escape from his mouth at that point. He took a deep breath and called after her through the gap.

"Ishigami," he said. But he then realised that her last name was a pretty common one. There might be a few people on board sharing her last name so he tried again and added something else. "Ishigami Kanon!"

His hand landed on the door as it closed. He waited with bated breath at her response. Thankfully, she heard him. He watched as she stopped on her tracks and slowly turned around to look at the source of her name.

When she saw that it was him, she blinked in confusion. Then a furrow came to her eyebrows. She was evidently trying to figure out who he was. She parted her lips to say something. Even if Akaashi was not able to hear her he clearly read her lips:

'Who are you?'

The train pulled away from the station but she remained standing there. Akaashi looked back at her until she was too far away for him to see. He was about to sigh the breath he held on to when a hand came to rest on his shoulder.

"What was that about, Akaashi?" Bokuto asked.

A gentle tug on his sleeve kept him from answering his senpai. The old woman whom the student assisted earlier was looking up at him expectantly.

"Yes?" he said politely.

"Do you know her?" she asked, beaming at him.

"Uhm, kind of," he answered.

"That's good to know," the old woman said, relieved. "I forgot to ask for her name."

"I thought you knew her?" Akaashi asked.

"No," the old woman shook her head. "She just came to my aid when she saw me struggling with the stairs on my way to the station."

At the length of her sentence, Akaashi only realised that she said it with a northern accent. "Are you not from here?"

"My accent gave me away, didn't it?" the old woman said, smiling. "When I spoke to her, she immediately asked me if I was from Tohoku. When I told her I was from Iwate she smiled and said that her grandparents are from there, too. And then she told me that she moved here from the neighbouring prefecture."

"Miyagi," Akaashi added but his mind was already processing the information.

The old woman nodded at his response and pulled out something from her bag. A hairclip lay on her palm which she offered to Akaashi. "I may have bought too many for my grandchildren so, if it's not too much trouble, will you give this to her as a thank you?"

He hesitated. "I'm not sure I could . . ."

"But you know her, right?" she said, looking up at him hopefully.

"I think so . . ."

"Then you'll be able to see her again?"

"He will," Bokuto suddenly said.

"What are you talking about, Bokuto-san?" how can his senpai be so confident about his short statement?

"You're forgetting something very important, Akaashi," he said proudly. "She was wearing a sailor type uniform and got off at that station."

Akaashi followed to where Bokuto was pointing: it was the overhead map inside the train. His eyes quickly shifted to the current station the train just stopped for then back at the map.

"The last station was Izumi-Tamagawa Station," Akaashi noted.

"Yup," Bokuto confirmed, crossing his arms and nodding back at him. "And there's only one school I can think of that's five minutes away from that station."

It finally clicked. Her unprecedented appearance was strong enough to distract him from gathering essential information about her. "Nekoma."

"That's right," Bokuto added. "I could ask Kuroo for help."

With his senpai's words, Akaashi picked up the hairclip. "I'll gladly give this to her for you, ma'am."

"Thank you," she said. "What was her name, again? I didn't catch it when you called after her."

"Ishigami Kanon."

She repeated the name and smiled. "I hope I get to meet her, again."

Akaashi stared at the hairclip before slipping it inside his school bag. He quietly hoped that he, too, will see her, again.

* * *

Note: I am SO SORRY for the major delay. My already hectic life has been infiltrated by Saturday language classes. I'm taking a break from it for a month and a half so I'm hoping I get a lot done by then.

This chapter is dedicated to Dreams of the Forgotten, Bluemoonyue, 4R1B4B4, twgreentea, toffeemilk, readingnotsleeping, Loving-you-is-a-crime, Nomchi, KirikaAndo, syzygy zacker, Estriella, wiznoy, mikansakura37, Jesmel, CasualLadyGamer, Icy Cream, nueiii, happysleepdays, PortgasDTatze, Gillian Tng, Aoi Kurashiki, 1, Erina-san, midnightshadow49, SweetAssassin, Kaiko Pyon, tigerlilyroars1, KaliRenee, SherlenaFrost, JokersBatman, NekoM0on, Yukichi730, and Lady Syndra.

What's in a Name by Late Night Alumni

Thank you so much for reading!


End file.
